Lone Wolf Association
by Shade the Raven
Summary: Evil is a blanket term, in any universe one can visit. So it's not surprising when evil can unite to attain one goal. But can good do the same? Featuring the talents of Solid Snake, Cloud Strife and Shadow the Hedgehog with more to come
1. Chapter 1

**I'm baaack, with a brand new bit straight from the workbench. A bit different from the last one, but change is good.**

**And now, I present, the opening act of the Lone Wolf Association...**

* * *

The night air was cool and crisp as he made his way through the endless avenue of warehouses and empty lots. No other souls were out and about this late or in such an urban desolate, but that made it perfect. Keeping his face cloaked and body hidden under the trenchcoat, this lone figure made his way through corner and darkness alike until he spotted his target. To anyone else, it was yet another empty warehouse, faded markings of the Shin-Ra Electric Company splayed over the door and metallic walls covered in rusty patches.

But to him, this was a fortress. Expertly trained eyes were peaked to pick out the small cameras covering the doorway and any lit portion of the alley in front of it. From the roof of the neighboring hovels, only the tips of the sniper rifles gave away the pair of sentries watching anything that came into view. Small trails of washed away blood marked the street below the building's exterior light, proof that whoever was in there was very serious about privacy.

Staying well within the shadows and out of prying eye's sight, he crouched behind a not-too-sweet smelling dumpster and placed a finger to his ear. The button his fingertip connected with was miniscule, but it was enough to activate the codec nestled inside his ear.

The recipient of the call was quick to answer "What's your position?"

"Otacon, I'm in front of the warehouse we were tipped off about. Multiple cameras covering the entrance, and at least a pair of snipers with 107s covering from above" he answered, trying to keep his gravely voice low in case of any audio watchdogs.

"That's it? Sounds like an open invitation, Snake. Shouldn't be a problem for you." Dr. Hal 'Otacon' Emmerich replied from wherever Philanthropy had decided to set up their control station for this operation. Sure, it wasn't a huge organization by any means, but what was lost in resources was well compensated for in skills and subterfuge. Which had yielded them the reward of information.

"That's what bothers me. If they really are gathering parts for a new Metal Gear in there, you'd think they would have picked a better location." Snake questioned, keeping his eyes on the doorway that looked big enough to fit a B-52 through.

"I dunno Snake. With DARPA's classified laboratory and the Army Corps of Engineer's Materials Depot all in about an hour's drive from there, it's a huge blind spot. No doubt the reported thefts from those two spots ended up there. Perfect for terrorists on a budget. So, how do you plan on getting in?"

Peeking up from his covered shadow, Snake scanned the buildings around him. One of them had an old fire escape ladder trailing down the side closest to him, coming up behind the sniper whose attention was focused elsewhere. "Stairway to Heaven" he replied before ceasing the call. The plan was simple, or at least the first part. Take out the eyes above the door and rappel across the street and onto the warehouse. From there, stealth and surveillance took priority and Snake would get a count of who was there, how many, and what they were really up to. Once that was done, Otacon would call in the Marines and they would do what they did best.

But, first things first. Keeping his footsteps light and pace quick, the former FOXHOUND operative crossed the empty street and re-cloaked himself in the shadow of the opposing structure. Again, his eyes darted from side to side, looking for any sign of pursuit or increased security as he approached. So far nothing.

Tossing off his coat into the darkened alleyway, the ebony color of his new sneaking suit hid his muscular build well were there was no streetlight, though the bandana securing his dark brown bangs back contrasted that. Placing one hand on the first leg of the ladder, his free fingers wrapped around the grip of the SOCOM .45 complete with silencer at his hip and brought it up from the holster. One last look up into the night sky to ensure security, Solid Snake climbed most of the way up the fire escape, avoiding any windows that weren't completely boarded up. Stopping just high enough to see over the roof's ledge, his caution was rewarded with the sight of three men, masked and armed, pacing across the rooftop in a very precise pattern. Across the way, the building with the second sniper also had three armed guards on patrol, with one guard making sure his path allowed eye contact with his mirror image on Snake's building. Yet his building had one advantage the other did not. A second staircase, leading up to the roof from inside the old hovel. Much like the roof entry on other buildings, it provided decent cover from the eyes across the street, but the guards on this roof had of course accounted for that.

_Hmmm, this could get complicated…._ his mind deduced as he watched these soldiers trace their routes. The moment the blind spot was at its biggest, Snake lifted his body from the ladder with ease and ran into the shadows of the entryway. None of them noticed his approach. Luckily for Snake, the door leading into the stairwell was unlocked and the hall vacant. Easily slipping inside but not shutting the door completely, the battle-hardened veteran waited until the nearest guard was in view from the open crack before he reached out and grabbed him in a classic choke. The guard groaned out in surprise, but was unable to break free as the pressure around his neck increased until the bones broke and his body went limp. Snake tossed the kill into the shadows, retrieving the few grenades, rations and the Chinese-built QBZ-95 assault rifle, complete with two full spare magazines.

_One down, seven to go._ Peeking out and around the corner, Snake waited until the second guard noticed that his partner was gone, which didn't take long. The unknowing solider walked right in front of the door, eyes low and rifle pointed to the floor. A fatal mistake, as a muffled round flew from the .45 and through his cranium. Snake grabbed the body and deposited it on top of its partner before it hit the ground, gathering anything useful that fell.

Unfortunately, the guards on the neighboring building suddenly noticed that two of three standing guards were gone. One of the dead guards radio's crackled to life in some kind of coded chatter, causing Snake to curse under his breath as he braced himself in the corner of the hall, keeping his eyes alert between the stairs and the door. Sure enough, the sounds of a formerly locked door crashing down from below signaled the approach. As did the roof door creaking open to allow the muzzle of a weapon inside. But with no mounted light, the guard had to come closer to see the bodies of his comrades. As soon as the solider was almost fully inside, Snake took aim and fired, dropping him with two shots to the chest as the entryway came alive with bullets bouncing off the wall and doorframe from a distance. One of the snipers now had the doorway in scope's view and was not going to let Snake out that way. But the more pressing issue became the heavy stomp of combat boots thundering up the stairs on full stampede. Popping the pin on one of the billiard ball-sized explosives, Snake tossed it down the stairs into the hall, if nothing else it would make them think twice. Sure enough, a voice below cried out "Grenade!" in English before a thundering explosion and screams of the wounded. Snake hoped to holy hell that the building was sturdy and strong enough to take the blast and shield the warehouse from the sign of intruders.

That left two snipers to deal with, one covering the door he'd come in through. And as luck would have it, the second got curious or brave and the barrel of a long rifle swept into the entryway. Sticking to the wall, Snake slid closer to the approaching guard and waited until just a bit more of the gun was inside. With an agility worthy of his codename, he grabbed the weapon and pulled the owner inside. In a contest of strength, the sniper came up short and lost control of his rifle, which Snake easily flipped into position and fired. Even with a silenced weapon, the sound of the .50 caliber round resonated through his chest as the hardened warrior claimed another kill. Taking cover in the doorway, Snake peeked out to see where the other solider was shooting from. Unlike his building, the other didn't have the same covered roof entry. But the shooter was lying down, making his profile even harder to see. Ducking quickly back under cover as a pair of rounds pinged off the concrete of the frame, Snake readied his newly-acquired Beretta longrifle and steadied his pulse. Then on a three count, he spun out of cover, leveled the scope to his eye and fired, just as his enemy fired. Though unlike the opponent, Snake's shot was deadly accurate.

_Finally… these guys are persistent… no way are these amateurs…_ he thought as he resisted the urge to light up a smoke. Sure, it would slow his reaction and make him easier to track, but _**damm **_would it feel good. As expected, the radios on one of the fallen grunts came alive again, but with encrypted voices. Then another, then the snipers. "Guess I need to move on" he growled to himself, unlatching the rope from the other side of his belt. Skillfully, Snake tied the free end to one of the line to a sturdy post, and swung the hook on the other over to the warehouse roof. The rubber coating muffled the normal clanging sound it made as it skittered across the metal roof until it looped around one of the ventilation pipes. Once he was sure it was tight, Snake wrapped his arms and legs around the line and shimmied across the street from a much safer altitude. From there, he heard the warehouse door slam open as a quartet of soldiers rushed out towards the other buildings, in full body armor and one carried some form of RPG. Once he was back on some form of solid standing, Snake used brute force to break the knot holding the rope on the other rooftop and reeled in the slack. It was a long shot, but maybe it would delay pursuit just long enough.

Carefully, he checked his surroundings as he stalked across the roof like a predator, staying low to avoid any other sharpshooters out there. The metal under his boots was solid, but that didn't mean there weren't pressure sensors under it. At every point and entry along the building, cameras kept a unwavering eye over the night. And he had little doubt that some very unfriendly faces were patrolling on the other side of the doors.

Kneeling beside the peak of the roof, he signaled Otacon again "This is Snake. I'm on the roof."

"Good work Snake. How does it look up there?"

"All's quiet on the roof. They've got the rest pretty tight. Multiple armed guards on patrol and snipers on building tops. There's something here alright."

"Got it. Snake, can you see any way inside the building from there?"

"Like what, the front door? I can think of better ways of suicide."

Chuckling on the other end, Hal just shook his head. "No, I mean like an air duct or freight entrance?"

"Not yet, I'll keep…wait a second." Snake paused the conversation as a pair of headlights approached. The sounds of a heavy diesel engine told him it was a heavy truck, possibly a tractor trailer. It did not waver as it approached the warehouse, slowing to a stop at the door. _Dump truck, eh? Well I doubt its hauling manure at this hour. There's my way in…_ Snake smiled to himself as he approached the edge of the roof. Above the steady rattle of the engine, he heard some kind of massive lock release as the doors screeched upon just wide enough for the truck to enter. Quietly, Snake lowered himself off the roof until the truck started to move forward, then he pushed off the metal and into the bed. Indeed, the truck was not carrying fertilizer. Instead, his back bounced off something solid and heavy. After he massaged the pain in his neck, the silent warrior flipped onto his belly and cocked an eyebrow at what it was he was laying on; sheets of dark green metal, ready to be fastened to something. "Armor plating?" he whispered aloud.

The truck seemed to steer an obstacle course of twists and turns until it stopped beside a large container, also marked as being from Shin-Ra. As soon as the vehicle ceased moving and the driver and passenger had left to go speak with whomever he needed, the stealthy veteran of Shadow Moses climbed quickly down from the side of the truck bed and darted behind the shipping crate. Once in complete concealment, Snake fished the electronic binoculars from his rear pouch and observed the scene.

_Maybe warehouse doesn't quite fit… this place is more like a cavern! _There were as many guards as there were workers, and none of them were sitting still. Most of the firepower was concentrated at the front and rear entrances, doubtlessly alerted by the scout team he'd seen earlier that someone was coming in force. The rest remaining few were watching a flurry of activity in the works at the warehouse's center. Sitting eerily quietly on the haunches of its legs was a haunting mechanical specter of his past. Complete with the rail gun on the right arm, it was a near exact copy of Metal Gear Rex. Its skin tinted a deeper camouflage green, the memory of their terrible battle in Alaska made Snake's pulse quicken.

Yet it was not quite the same instrument of death he'd fought before. The radome on its left arm was a bit smaller than he remembered and well draped in armor. And adding to the two buzzsaw-like miniguns in its head, this Rex now sported a second pair of cannons built into the thighs of the beast, along with some kind of close-support weaponry mounted into the chin just under the cockpit.

Swarming all around the giant walker, attaching the new armor plates or twisting about the internal electronics were dozens of small drones, the likes of which Snake had never seen. Not but the size of watermelons, they hovered and zipped around the slumbering walker and performed whatever tasks they were assigned. And every one of them looked to be stamped with an insignia he couldn't quite make out, though it looked the visage of a larger man wearing dark glasses and outrageous facial hair.

And between Snake and his metallic adversary stood two guards flanking whoever was in charge. Tall, somewhat thin built, but with mannerisms that radiated authority, it wasn't a far leap to guess that this was the leader. And right now, his leader was not happy with the person seated in front of him. Chained to the desk and surrounded on three sides by computers, a fat man with lanky legs and arms and bright red mustache extended well beyond his cheeks, eyes hidden behind dark goggles and worksuit tainted and torn. In between the two, some kind of debate was raging, their voices just loud enough for Snake to pick up over the hissing of various torches and clattering of tools.

"Always with delays, Doctor? You told me you would have this project done _three days ago!_"

From his seat, the captive looked absolutely livid, even behind the facial hair "And _you _told _me_ that you were finished with blueprint modifications _a week ago!_ Do you know how hard it is to keep up with all the changes you've made Colonel Prescott?!"

_Colonel Prescott? An American is running this operation?_ Snake pondered as he tried to keep up with the argument.

"Why do you think we hired you, Dr Robotnik? You, the master of robotic terror, evil genius with an iron fist" answered the officer as he gestured to the unfinished Metal Gear.

"_HIRED?!" _Robotnik nearly choked on that word "Is THAT what you call sending your goons to kidnap me and chaining me here till I finish this little toy of yours?"

Another figure approached the scene from the direction of the dump truck, a man in an expensive looking suit and unruly brown hair "Calm yourself Ivo. The last thing you need is another heart attack."

The scientist gave this newcomer a hidden glare as Prescott smiled "Sounds like things went well Chang. Did you get it?"

Sliding a hand into his suit, the third member of the coatery produced a small vial and handed it to the Colonel. Inside it, carefully kept stationary by wire, was a small chunk of black stone. Zooming in on it, Snake could swear that he could see swirls of fluid cascade across the rock. "The WRO had this locked up tight. Had to kill quite a few lackeys to get into the vault where this was" Chang grinned, almond eyes narrowing as he examined the fragment.

Snatching the stone from his partner's fingertips, Prescott handed it to Robotnik "Will this be enough to complete the warhead?"

The doctor smirked as he measured the sample with his eyes "I should say so. Adding this little gem to the power of a Chaos emerald should be quite interesting indeed."

_Warhead!?!_ His voice yelled out in six languages of alarm. Immediately, Solid Snake called back to base.

"Otacon, we've got problems here."

Emmerich's eyebrows jumped skyward on the other end of the line. He'd never heard his friend so alarmed "What is it Snake? What did you find?"

"It's here alright. Almost an exact copy of Rex, except with even more close quarter firepower. A Colonel Prescott looks to be running the show. He's apparently kidnapped a scientist by the name of Robotnik to finish the weapon, including some kind of new warhead."

That made Otacon leap to his feet "Warhead?! As in _nuclear_ warhead?!"

"I'm not sure. It doesn't look like any nuclear material I've ever seen. It was brought in by someone going by Chang. Possibly a codename."

"Snake, do you see an open terminal around there anywhere? If you can send me a few photos of the device or any of its components, I'll send them to Nastasha and see what she says."

Drawing his eyes off the argument, Snake scanned across the complex, looking for any unsecured computer. Sadly, it looked like the only actual terminals were all surrounding the overweight scientist. Which meant unless the stealthy operative wanted to simply ask nicely to use the computers, he was out of luck for the moment.

But as his magnified eyes crossed across the rear entrance, something else caught his eye. The flicker of sparks cascading through the door as the lock was melted away.

And that was when all hell broke loose.

* * *

**Three madmen, three universes, one objective. Isnt teamwork fun?**

**Course, since ff doenst have a three-way cross overdeal, this has to go in the two biggest slots, so apologies to the one that got left out...**

**Otherwise enjoy!**


	2. Enter the Cast

**And to think, all that was just a minor surge. Time to bring in a few more castmembers...**

* * *

Solid Snake didn't even have time to relay the impending break-in to Otacon before the wall groaned in agony as the door tore itself off its hinges and began to fall backwards. Immediately, the guards at the door, along with the ones at the front, raced across the warehouse and took aim at the hole. As soon as the barrier fell to the ground, machine gun fire erupted as both sides emptied their clips into a smoky cloud. Keeping his cover as the battle intensified, the shadowy operative got a good look at who it was that was intruding. Dressed in somewhat raggedy and unusually open uniforms, these weren't so much soldiers as they were strong-willed amateurs. Each branded armor in various places across their chests and limbs, some form of automatic rifle, and a patch on the breast with the initials 'W.R.O.' splayed in blue.

_WRO? Didn't Chang mention them?_ His mind raced as these rookie troops tried to push their way into the building, until a clattering of metal drew the veteran's attention back to the center of the scene. Prescott had drawn a pistol from his belt and had it leveled at the door, shouting at Robotnik to activate the incomplete Metal Gear. And while the overweight scientist's fingers flew across half a dozen keyboards, Chang had produced some form of metal staff from his coat and held one in each hand with a more sinister smile. Yet the suit did not engage.

Try as they might, the new intruders had no more luck getting into the building than the seasoned guards had driving them out. It was a contest of skill versus swarm, and one that Snake was itching to dig into as he replaced the binoculars with his assault rifle and clicked off the safety. From his covered spot, it was a clear shot into the rear ranks of the defending soldiers, an opportunity he was rarely afforded. Even sweeter still was the clean shot at the trio in charge of this coup. The stealthy operative estimated he could take down Prescott, maybe even Chang before Robotnik knew what was happening and tried to flee.

Which would have worked fine in a battle simply involving foot troops, but the steady whirring of lifeless reinforcements approached the melee. Leaving their positions around the massive walker, a good number of the worker drones hovered above the guards, some kind of small beam cannon emerging from their bellies as they too opened fire into the WRO ranks. The screams of surprise and the familiar stench of burned flesh crossed his senses, Snake began to step from his cover when one of the closest drones suddenly turned and locked its glowing red eye right onto his face. Replying with a three round burst from his weapon, he looked to silence the inhuman sentry before it summoned help. But as the bullets succeeded in swatting down the prying eye, it emitted a screeching buzz that caught the ear of most everyone and focused them right at Snake. Two shots from the Colonel's sidearm bounced off the corner of the crate as Snake fired into the mass of soldiers, taking down at least one of them.

Then, something unusual caught his ear. Not the sound of the massive drive motors that would move a tank like Rex, but a smaller, more high-powered engine was coming. Even with the codec ringing like crazy in his ear, Snake tried to follow the sound as he backed deeper into the shadows. It was coming, and it sounded fast. And sure enough, as it broke through the smoky wall between him and the outside, Snake caught a look at another new guest. Riding in on some form of blackened motorcycle, the WRO troops cleared a hole as the rider arrived, bullets pinging off the front plating of the bike as the sides split open to reveal an arsenal of blades. Flipping the goggles from his face up into his outrageous blond hair, the rider grabbed a handle in each hand and kicked off the ground in a leap that slapped the laws of physics across the face. Snake had no idea what to make of this scene. Each sword was as big as the figure who wielded them, and his thinly-built arms spun and swung them both with amazing precision. Using each as both a shield from the bullets and a razor's edge, he tore into the ranks of the ground troops, slashing at both rifle and bone alike.

Which would have been more than enough, if the swordsman was dealing with just ordinary grunts. But these faceless soldiers had the benefit of air cover, and the drones were making it very difficult for the blonde warrior to mount anything else beyond a spirited defense.

_Guess it's time to even the odds…_ Snake smirked, swinging out from the shadows and firing into the aerial assault. One by one, the robotic assailants fell in piles of burning slag as they were forced to divide their attention between blade and bullet alike. Even Prescott could not choose between targets, deciding to burn his pocket ace and sprint for Metal Gear. Robotnik's hands still blurred across the keys, bringing the dormant tank to life, as the few worker drones that had not engaged in combat now surrounded him like a shield. And Chang, he stood watch over the glory of the fight with that primal smile. It was only when the swordsman got close did he spring into action. On Chang's right, the staff suddenly doubled in size and sprouted the head of a hatchet, with the one on his left becoming a cross with some form of glowing energy and now it covered his left forearm like a small shield. Then and only then did the suit engage the rider in one on one combat.

With that, Snake returned his attention to Prescott, who was quickly scaling the ladders and scaffolding into Rex's cockpit. Opening up on full auto, Snake knew his best bet was to kill the would-be pilot before the Colonel reached the controls, simply for the fact he had no weapon on him capable of making a dent in such a beast once it came to life.

Sadly, it was to no avail. As bullets bounced and rang off the steel supports around him, the Colonel still managed to leap over the last guardrail and plant himself in the control seat. The jaw of the great tank slammed shut and Snake felt his gut sink "DAMM!" Now it had become a severely one-sided battle, even as the gunfire between the WRO and the defending guards had all but died off. Both sides had been wrecked, with the more experienced soldiers finally succumbing to the swarm of rookies. Still, there were only a few rag-tag troops left standing, and they were focused more on the duel between Chang and his opponent.

Leveling his rifle towards the metallic wall between him and the mad scientist, Snake took a breath to answer the codec that had been ringing like crazy in his ear.

"Snake! What's going on in there! We've had reports of a full-on firefight in there!"

"It's worse than that Otacon. They're trying to activate the new Metal Gear! A bunch of other troops stormed the building trying to stop it, along with some guy with a big sword. But they were more or less contained."

"Guy with a sword? You don't mean!"

"No, not like Grey Fox. This guy looks a lot more human, and his blade is much bigger." Flashes of his long lost friend flew across Snake's mind, though he shook out the distraction quickly enough. "I'm going to try and get to Robotnik. If he's a prisoner, maybe he can help. Otacon, send in the Marines, and make sure they bring some anti-tank gear!"

"Okay, Snake. They're on the way! Good luck!"

* * *

Though at the controls of Metal Gear, the pilot was equally frustrated. The giant mech would not awaken. As his fingers scrambled across various buttons and switches in the low glow of ambient light, it wasn't until his palm hit front and center in the dash panel did Colonel Prescott curse madly. Something very important was missing, and he knew exactly where it was. Slamming his fist into the radio, he growled into the now-live channel "Ivo! Where is the Chaos Emerald?! What the hell did you do with it?!"

The classic sound of the genius' chuckle cackled back to Prescott "I had to remove it while re-calibrating the containment chamber, as per _your_ request."

"You traitorous bastard! I'll have you…"

"Oh, calm yourself William. If you wish to save your precious toy, then you best stay put and switch over to battery backup. It wont be enough to power the leg turbines, but it WILL bring up most of the weapons. All but the rail gun for obvious reasons."

"Understood" he replied quite perplexed "But how do you plan to…"

"Just leave that to me" came the simple reply. While it would easily suit Dr Robotnik to simply leave the Colonel to pay for his actions and steal this newfound mechanized wonder, that still left Chang as his piece of the puzzle. The most mysterious made little mention of whatever his donation was to their work, save for the fact it brought great power and potential for destruction. So, if the mustachioed tyrant was to conquer the world, he would need just a bit more from these two. Luckily for them, the doctor's preferred method of travel had more than enough room to carry them, and plenty of firepower to dissuade any pursuit.

Just as Snake finished his order to Otacon, the familiar sounds of power flowing through copper veins made him growl. Metal Gear Rex Mk II was online. Though it's legs did not move, the giant beast twisted its massive head to knock free its steel cage before glaring right at Snake's hiding place. The tell-tale whir of a pair of buzzsaws made him snarl, as he pictured the tearing stream of bullets ripping through bone and metal alike.

And if part of the front door did not suddenly explode inward, the sounds of thousands of rounds speeding through him may have been the last thing Snake had ever heard. Both he and the walkable tank turned their heads towards the now smoking entryway just in time to catch a glimpse of a blackened comet speeding their way before it slowed and resolved into a more humanoid shape, at least humanoid from the chest down. With blazing crimson eyes and ebony spines standing on end, this new distraction succeeded in drawing both the attention of Metal Gear and the captive Robotnik. Only the latter suddenly went pale however, as the former was suddenly torn between two intruders. "Sh..sh Shadow? Why, whatever brings you by? Here to rescue your master?"

Sneering, the hedgehog knocked most of the protective drones away from the doctor in a burst of crimson energy from his gloved fist. Snake had never seen anything like it, not even from the twisted powers of Psycho Mantis. Then again, he'd never seen a hedgehog standing on two feet or a man wielding a sword wider than he was, so today was just full of surprises. Adding to that fact was when the animal opened its mouth to speak in flattened emotionless voice "Nice try Doctor. I'm here for the Chaos Emerald."

Smirking back at the ebony invader, Robotnik simply adjusted his glasses "Then why don't you consult that?" he pointed at the unfinished Rex, which had chosen which target to engage. A steady stream of tracers and death erupted from the head of the mechanical beast towards Shadow, carving through the cement floor with ease. The mad scientist scrambled for cover as bullets tore though his computers toward the hedgehog, whereas a snarling Shadow leapt away from him and dove for cover behind the closest thing available, nearly knocking heads with the other operative taking cover behind the fortification for the moment. Snake quickly found himself torn between a potential ally and a certain enemy, but as the bullets tore into their protective cover, the wily veteran allowed himself a smile _They haven't finished the covering on the legs yet. Might just be able to bring this thing down after all!_

Indeed, the frontal covering on the right leg still hung open slightly, as did the side coverings on both massive limbs. Suddenly, it was possible for one lucky shot to disable the massive tank and bring the night to a sudden end. All they had to do now was short it out and the complex eletrical brain behind the brawn would die. It was a chance he couldn't pass up, though with Rex's guns tearing through the disintegrating bits of their cover made it quite difficult. Yet for the first time in a long time, Snake had found himself an ally.

An ally that didn't cooperate much, as the now-angered mammal began to race out from their cover on shoes that somehow enabled him to glide much faster than any mortal could run. But the massive size of their metallic opponent allowed it to cover a wide angle with its cannons. Rather than seeing the ebony hedgehog filleted into several small pieces, Snake, grabbed Shadow by the shoulder and yanked him back as the air where they would have been was quickly shredded by metal teeth.

* * *

Needless to say, Shadow shot his imposing savior quite the evil glare. Did this arrogant human actually think he was saving the ultimate life-form?! How _dare_ he be so brash!

Like anything else the hedgehog had encountered, this tank was simply another obstacle that stood between Shadow and his goal. And like any other obstacle he'd dealt with, Shadow would break, maim and otherwise destroy what stood in his way. In this case, he wanted the Chaos Emeralds, and what better place to start his search for them than the one mad tyrant who always seemed to need them for one scheme or another to try and conquer the world? Naturally, Shadow had started by breaking into the madman's lair, but to his surprise, Robotnik was nowhere to be found. In fact, the laboratory itself was in ruins. It had taken quite the expedition to track the overweight genius down, only to find that Robotnik had been hard at work on some toys. Apparently, some toys that more than one party was not willing to let him or anyone else have, as was evident by the nearby firefight or the continuous banging of blades nearby.

Glaring at his would-be savior with energetic crimson eyes, Shadow was almost stunned to see no reaction from the human. Cold, war-tested orbs met his as the figure in the shadows as Snake gestured to the open vulnerability of their respective enemy, then with a simple attack plan. Shadow would race one way, while the human went the other, and both would attack the open wiring in the hopes of shorting out the Metal Gear. Since the tank would be forced to divide its fire, it had no hope of defending against both aggressors. At least, in theory it didn't.

In a moment's harmony, they made their move. Darting for the crumbling remains of the container, Shadow came back around towards the front door he came through whereas Snake rushed towards the sword battle, empting the clip of his rifle into the open wiring. In a bold counter, the tank switched to the guns mounted on its legs. But since the massive pillars below Rex's head were immobile, they did noting but shred the warehouse walls. Its opponents however, were dead-on accurate. Shadow's hands glowed with a deep ruby energy, and in an olympian leap, the Chaos Spear slashed through exposed wiring and detonated. On the opposite side, Snake primed his last pair of grenades and tossed them into the open wound in the beast's leg. Both detonated in a satisfying wave of fire. Though neither attack made a noticeable dent in the finished portions of the tank's armor, the great beast suddenly fell silent as sparks flooded the cockpit.

Snake allowed himself a brief moment of victory, looking over at his shanghaied comrade with a grin. Shadow returned the sign with a patented 'humph' before glaring back at the cowering doctor. It wasn't until something else slammed against the side of the now disabled beast did the pair remember the third fight occupying the building.

* * *

The constant clanging of sword against staff prevented him from paying much attention to the rest of the scene. But that mattered not, as Cloud's mission was clear ever since he'd heard about the theft from Reeve a few days ago. The leader of the World Regenesis Organization had come to him in a deep sense of worry, and once he explained the situation to him, Strife understood why. Immediately, the blonde warrior had set off in pursuit of a rogue agent to stop yet another disaster from befalling the world.

Chang, a member of the Turks and close aid to President Rufus of the former Shin-Ra Electric Company, had been on a simple investigative assignment when he came across something that sparked his interest on the most dreadful and terrible of disasters.

The calamity from the skies… Jenova.

Reeve wasn't sure what had happened, but once it was clear that Chang had begun looking for pieces of the Black materia, and the source of the harbinger itself, the WRO had tried to stop him. But when they failed and Chang escaped, Reeve turned to the one person who probably understood all this best. The one man still standing who knew how it felt to be a puppet on the strings of maliciousness.

And right now, as Cloud and the ex-Turk locked metal again, he could see the flickers of that evil amber glow in his eyes. "What the hell is going on?" Cloud nearly yelled at his opponent.

Chang simply smiled and kicked off Strife's broadsword "Simple. This twisted game needs to be reset. And since he couldn't do it, I guess it's up to me…"

The mere _mention_ of him made Cloud's fists clench. Perhaps the greatest SOLDIER ever born, even the passing reference to Sephiroth would forever cause Strife's blood to rush. Clenching down on the handles of his blades, the blond delivery boy struck at Chang with all the force he could muster, yet the suit managed to block every blow. It didn't seem possible to his eyes, but once he caught the tell-tale glow of the materia shimmering from the shield's center, Cloud scowled at such a cheap counter. "Are you insane? I thought Rufus and the Turks were trying to _save_ the planet, not finish it off!"

Chang simply sneered back at him "But you of all people should appreciate the truth of the matter. Geostigma, the WEAPONs, Deepground…it's time to wipe the slate clean!" Trying to disengage their lock, the suit planted his boots into the flat edge of one of the attacking swords and pushed off. This gave Chang some manner of breathing room, but it also gave Cloud the time he needed as well. From deep within the swordsman's core shimmering energy surrounded his blades as he struck at his opponent with a one-two Blade Beam combo. The first hit knocked Chang's weapon out of line and the second shattered the portable shield he wore, knocking the crazed Turk backwards and into the solid side of Metal Gear with a satisfying thud. His opponent's body now laying limp against the walking tank, Cloud sheathed one of his blades, keeping the other leveled at the rest of the guards, who were one by one being bound and removed from play. Though he felt the hair on his neck stand on end from a pair of prying eyes, the sunshine-peaked SOLIDER made no aggressive moves towards them. Even though the human of the pair kept his pistol up and ready and the shorter demonic looking creature moved to interrogate the robust prisoner, a momentary sense of accomplishment fell over the trio.

Though, like any victory this trio had enjoyed, it came with a sense of hesitation that this wasn't quite over yet.

* * *

**I realize that wonderful OOC line will be hard to maintain with such a cast, so any such instances I hope I have explained well enough in here and the chapters to come. Still, hope you enjoyed the opening, and stay tuned!**


	3. Escape

**So now the heros have come to save the day! All will soon be set right.... cause turnabout never happens in my stories.**

* * *

He'd seen failures and screwups before, but this disaster ranked among the higher of Dr. Robotnik's embarrassments. Not only had Prescott managed to break into the doctor's laboratory under cover of night and stolen him away, but then to be forced to create such a fallible machine as this walker? It was almost depressing. The fact that he had had almost no part in this battle made the taste even fouler. And Ivo was downright tired of it. Too many times had he wasted his pocket ace too late into the game and watched it fall. _Not this time. I've put far too much effort into this toy to simply give it away…_ Reaching into his sleeve, the overabundant genius retrieved such a lucky charm and pressed the only button on the small remote. Chirping in response, the good doctor could not spare a smile of impending triumph, even as both ultimate life-form and the gun-wielding human turned to him. "Well done Shadow. I see your methods are still as reckless as ever."

Keeping a fist clenched and glowing an ember red, the ebony hedgehog approached, human in tow before Shadow extended an arm to block his follower's path "This one's mine."

Scowling in frustration, the man clad in darkness kept his pistol leveled at the superior intellect "I need that man to break open this giant hunk of metal. Sorry, but that means I need him alive."

Turning to glare back over his shoulder with cold ruby eyes, the hedgehog gave Snake a stern glare, fists sparking in equal radiance "Stay out of my way. I won't say it again."

"You never were gracious, were you Shadow? After all, didn't this human just save your ungrateful hide? I saw him yank you out of the line of fire."

The ebony mammal snarled as the doctor recanted the tale, making the mustachioed human smile grow, before the sterling barrel of a SOCOM made its presence known. "My turn to ask questions. Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here?" demanded the gravel-toned veteran.

Standing tall and brushing the dust from his overextended torso, the mad genius gave Snake a formal bow "Doctor Ivo Robotnik, scientist extraordinaire and future leader of the world! Though not if I'm to build useless contraptions like this. All that effort and now it's just a pile of armor."

_Did he just call Metal Gear useless?!_ "Then you know how to break into it."

"Sure I do, but there are bigger problems than that now" the scientist sighed in feigned defeat. All he needed was a few more seconds of confusion to cloud his retreat, and he had a bountiful selection of distractions, but pitting hero against hero was a pastime the oversized inventor never could pass up.

And sure enough, the grizzled human took the bait "What are you talking about?"

"Why don't you ask him?!" Robotnik cast an accusing finger towards Cloud, who himself was busy patting down an unconscious opponent.

Though Shadow did not budge from his glare towards the mustachioed human, Snake felt the cold touch of experience come over him. Sure, Metal Gear may now be a defeated tin can, but it was still armed to the teeth and was layered in protection that he lacked the opener to pry apart. _How much longer till those Marines get here?_ he pondered. Stepping back from the ebony bundle of energy, the stealthy veteran tapped his codec back on. "Otacon, how much longer until backup arrives?"

Nothing but static answered him. Growling, Snake switched to what was supposed to be Philanthropy's emergency frequency. It might earn him a lecture later about mis-use of the channel, but he was having a bad enough night already. "Otacon, come in. Otacon?"

Still, the airwaves were overrun with snow. Not a discernable sound came through. Furrowing his brow, Snake scanned over the remains of their night so far. He hadn't seen anything on the roof that looked like a dish or a jammer, nor did he see anything intact that would serve either of those purposes, but that didn't mean it wasn't there. After all, his communication to the outside world fit inside his ear, so something to block it could be just as small. Could it be that the blade-swinging member of their unusual assembly brought something like that with him?_ Only one way to find out…_

The sunshine-capped stranger had sheathed one of his blades, keeping the other one in his grip and doubtlessly ready to swing at anything that approached. Still, he was searching his opponent rather thoroughly, so most of those eerily glowing eyes were focused there. Approaching one muffled step at a time, Snake lowered his weapon to a more neutral level, only to snap it back up in defense as a shining bladetip suddenly appeared pointed at his nose. "Who are you?" the swordsman asked in a curious, yet soft voice.

Stepping back from the giant cleaver, Snake lowered his SOCOM and shrugged "I'm the one they sent in to clean up this whole mess. And you?"

Smirking, the mysterious rider stood. Though he was built skinner than Snake, the ease at which Cloud could swing those massive blades was quite impressive. "Me? I'm just a delivery boy. He stole something they shouldn't have, and so I was sent to get it back."

Thinking back, Snake could think only one thing that his ally must have been talking about "You mean that little black rock?"

_That_ made the ex-SOLDIER's eyes go wide "You saw the Black Materia?! Where is it now?"

Snake turned and nodded toward Robotnik, who was slowing backing away from the angrier non-human "He was the last one I saw take it."

Cloud scowled. He didn't want to leave Chang unguarded for even an instant, regardless of how great a shot this gravely-sounding solider might have been. But he needed to get that materia back, for even a sliver had far too much power to be left idle. Which left but one option. Keeping the sword he had hovering off the ground, he pointed to Snake, then to his subdued foe "Make sure he doesn't move, and shoot fast if he does."

Nodding, the midnight-clad veteran asked no other questions as he leveled his .45 at Chang. Cloud stepped away from the Turk one cautious step at a time before the raised voices of the smaller spine-covered creature increased his pace "I don't have time to play games, Doctor. Where's that damn Chaos Emerald?!"

Before the answer emerged from under that outrageous mustache, Cloud pointed his blade at the human, but kept the edge rotated so Shadow would take note "What about the Black Materia? Where did you hide it?"

Robotnik chuckled at both the demand, and the look of angered surprise that the hedgehog shot up the sword to its owner "Hoo hoo hoo! My, everyone is so demanding these days! Whatever happened to saying 'please'?"

"Who the hell are you?!" Shadow asked of the swordsman, who did not spare a glance in return "Cloud. And you are?"

Sneering, the hedgehog encased his fist in a crimson glow and tried to smack the blade out of line, only to find it did not budge so easily "My name is Shadow, the ultimate life-form. And I have no time to waste on you. This vermin has something he shouldn't have and I'm taking it back."

"You mean the materia, right?"

"The what?" Shadow asked with a low growl. As the hedgehog and the swordmaster bantered back and forth, Robotnik heard the device on his wrist begin to beep, signaling the arrival of his pocket ace, and lighting up the grin under his facial cover. "Showtime!" he uttered aloud, catching the ear of both those closest to him. Granted, Cloud had no idea why the overabundant human had suddenly flashed such a maniacal grin, but Shadow knew all too well that something was amiss. Grabbing Robotnik by the collar, the hedgehog lifted him up with little effort "Time's up, doctor. Answer me or die here. Where is the Emerald?"

Cackling even in the face of fury itself, Ivo simply pointed toward the ceiling. As if on cue, the roof caved down and gave way to a pair of powerful four-pronged claws on thickened cables. All three of the victorious leapt out and away from the falling wreckage, and each using their own given talents to stay alive. Snake fell back on years of warfighting expertise and dove for solid cover next to the crate already riddled with bullet holes, Cloud took both his blades in hand and made his own path by slicing through any debris that came in range, and Shadow displayed his normal astonishing speed and wove through any raining calamity like it was falling in slow motion. Regrouping next to the gun-toting member of their trio, all eyes were divided between the now bound Metal Gear and Dr. Robotnik, who was clambering into what looked like a floating teacup with stubby wings. As soon as the canopy sealed the mad scientist snug inside the pod, the sounds of his laughter echoed throughout the hanger "Now then, if you all will forgive me, I can't let this new toy go to waste. Farewell!" With that, Ivo floated up into the night sky, taking Metal Gear up with him. And whether it was by luck or by effort, Chang somehow clung to the foot of the walking tank and ascended with it.

Needing no cue to act, the trio set off in pursuit. Rushing around the corner of the crate, Snake retrieved the sniper rifle he'd acquired earlier and aimed its maw at the ascending genius. One, two, three shots sounded off in succession, each of them pinging off the protective transparent shield around Robotnik, though the final round managed to crack it somewhat. Of course, this earned the aspiring tyrant's attention and Ivo retaliated with a flurry of small missiles that erupted from his pod into the side of the crate. Even though Snake ducked behind it quickly enough to avoid any burns, the explosive force from a pair that landed nearby still rocked both his cover and himself back, almost tipping the massive box onto the veteran before Snake could slither out of the way.

Racing up the side of the warehouse, Shadow the Hedgehog held his action until he was sure his target would not see, then he curled into the patented spinball and blasted towards Robotnik and Metal Gear. His aim was true and he connected with the side of the pod, but what the ebony speedster did not count on was the electric current running through the skin of the small craft. As unrelenting will clashed with unwavering power, one eventually had to give. Howling in excited agony, the shock finally knocked Shadow back from the retreating hover pod and back down to the floor. Landing on his feet, two crimson eyes glared up into the night sky, shaking with energy and frustration.

Digging deep into his turbulent core, Cloud leapt into the air, both blades in motion to clear a path onto the flat peak of the ascending walker. Though he may have only seen this armored beast in action through the split seconds his attention wasn't on the ex-Turk, he still had a distinct sinking feeling that such a toy was much better suited in pieces. Landing with a solid thud, he immediately brought the wider of his two blades into a strong slash against one of the cables hauling Metal Gear skyward. The closest line severed easily in two, causing his footing to tilt and groan as all the weight of a massive walking tank became unbalanced. Mako-enhanced ears had heard the screeching cry of the missile as it rushed toward him, so he brought his second sword to shield him. Even still, the force of the explosion knocked him from his balance just enough that the skin of the roof caught his other blade and ensnared it, snatching Cloud from place and tossing him back into the air. The sheer force of the rest of Metal Gear being torn into the sky threw the swordsman back to the ground, where he landed easily on his feet next to an irate hedgehog and snarling solider.

Above them, both the mad doctor and his new toy disappeared into what looked like a floating battleship. And indeed, with a hull that sported sharp sleek curves and corners resembling an aircraft carrier, it was a sight two of them had never seen. As soon as its stolen cargo had vanished into its belly, the massive engine nacelles secured to either side of the hull flared to life and propelled the cruiser into the night sky.

And just as suddenly as it had appeared, the ship vanished as if erased from the heavens themselves. Not even the clouds stirred in its wake.

Neither of the humans knew what to make of such an appearance. Snake had never seen such a monstrosity before, or anything remotely close to it outside of the ocean. Cloud had been witness to many powerful weapons before, but Shin-Ra's weapons where never so elegantly made. Only Shadow knew what it was they were dealing with "So, he rebuilt it after all. Wonder where he's running to now…"

And as the midnight mammal began to withdraw, the humans were quick to follow "You've seen that before?" Cloud asked. Snake was again trying to raise Otacon, but still to no avail.

Nodding, the hedgehog took to an easy run, just slow enough that the others could keep up "He calls it the Egg Fortress. One of his other toys. Robotnik uses it as a mobile base whenever his goes on a mission."

"Mobile? You mean that crazy egghead has a permanent base?" Snake chimed in.

"Yes, though I don't know where his latest one is. The last one was in deep in the desert before faker and his friends smashed it apart."

"Who?" asked the swordsman as he leapt onto his own transport. On silent cue, the bike's side panels opened wide to allow Cloud room to store the blades on his back. And as much as it made him feel uncomfortable, Snake hoped on behind the sun-capped blademaster and tried activating his codec again. This time, he was rewarded with a connection as Cloud fired the motorcycle's high-powered engine. On the other end of the line, Dr. Emmerich was in one step shy of complete panic "SNAKE! There you are! What the hell is going on?! We have reports of a full scale battle going on over there!"

"Otacon, did the radar pick up anything just now? Something huge like an aircraft or anything like that?!"

"No, we lost contact twenty minutes ago. Radar, communications, everything. The director has been pulling her hair out trying to reach you." Came the summary, which was not the one Snake wanted to hear. But it meant that whatever transport Robotnik had was equipped with some kind of jammer. If it blocked out radio, infa-red _and_ visible contact, then it was even more advanced than the armor worn by Grey Fox during their battle in Alaska. "What about the Marines? Did they see anything in the past few minutes? I mean this thing was huge!"

"Snake" Otacon's voice dropped both emotion and tone "the Marines are gone. Wiped out. It's all over the evening news."

"What the _HELL?!" _he yelled over the roar of the bike's turbine, though Cloud guessed that his passenger just received some very bad news.

"Yea, its true. Officially, it's a traffic collision during an exercise. I don't know all the details yet, just that something ambushed them en route to you and blasted them halfway to hell. Whatever it was, the anti-tank HEAT rounds didn't to much good since they didn't find any sign of who or what it was that did this. Even their Hummers and APC's were trashed, like they were hit by some kind of explosive, but there's no scorching damage to the road."

Snake could not help but fall silent for a moment, in solemn wish that the souls of those devildogs would find peace. "Otacon, I'm pretty sure that whatever just blasted it's way out of here is responsible. And whatever it is took Prescott, Metal Gear, and all of the research. I'm going after it."

Somewhere across the city, Octacon nodded. He knew all too well that once the gruff warrior had set his eyes on a goal, nothing would be able to stand in his path. "All right Snake. I'm gonna keep looking for anything unusual. In the meantime, be careful. Okay?"

"Understood. Let me know the moment you find anything." The line back to base was closed as the bike picked up speed once the buildings were cleared and the open air of the road hit them. And though Shadow could have easily out-distanced the high-powered cycle, the mention of this 'materia' substance perked his interest. The way that Cloud had reacted when it was mention in passing made the ultimate life-form suspect that this stone was indeed powerful. Perhaps even powerful enough to accomplish his mission. _Maybe I can use it along with the Chaos Emeralds…_

"Where are we going?" Cloud yelled over the solid rush of the wind past them.

"Robotnik's last base was in the desert, well west of here. Perhaps there will be some remains there we can use. Unless you have any better ideas on how to track his flying shitheap."

"Not to track, but I can get us there even faster than this" the swordsman replied, fishing his phone from his trouser pocket and dialing. Granted, it was late at night already, and the person he was trying to contact was known for their taste for alcohol, but Cloud hoped to holy hell that they weren't passed out yet. Finally, the line connected and a voice one step above a snarling dog answered "Whatthefuckdoyouwant?"

"Cid, its Cloud. I need the world's fastest airship, and I need it now."

"Strife?!" the voice of Cid Highwind suddenly cleared as the pilot snapped awake. Cloud had _never_ asked to borrow any of his toys, he usually ended up taking them anyway. So what was going on now? "Do you have any fuckin idea what time it is? Why the hell are you runnin around so late?"

"Reeve called me about a job. Said someone stole a piece of the Black Materia. I found the thief, but its a lot more complicated that it looks. We need the _Shera_ to go after him."

As soon as the swordsman mentioned the stone, the scraggly old pilot leapt into his boots, rushing to put his oil-stained jumpsuit on "You just know how to get into shit, don't you spikey? I'll be there before you can whine. Just watch your ass and don't do nothin stupid." With that, the call ended and Cloud pocketed the phone, before he realized that the rest of his company was curious about what just happened "Just booked us a ride. Shadow, you said you knew where this place was?"

The hedgehog nodded, and Snake added "The entrance to the main interstate is just up ahead, should be wide enough even for a jumbo jet to land."

"Just don't call it that to his face. Highwind loves his toy" Cloud smirked.

* * *

**Leave it to Robotnik to make a good exit. But will he do now? Where will he run? And how will our unlikely team of good guys hunt him down?**

**Stay tuned**


	4. Hypothesis

**Many are the pieces to this little puzzle, but how do they fit together? Well, our heroes might be able to shed some light on that...**

* * *

Few were the souls traveling the interstate tonight. Most of those who were piloted massive eighteen-wheeled behemoths that howled through the darkness with their payloads to some other destination far away. Though every truck they passed gave them a look of stunned surprise as two men on a most unusual motorcycle and an ebony blur raced past. Not that bothered Shadow or Cloud. For one would not give them a second glance for risk of death and the other had woven through streets far more packed than this. Only Snake felt out of place, since most of his work was done under the cover of secrecy. Then again, most of his operations came apart of the seams anyway, so improvisation was quickly becoming one of his aptitudes.

Still, it was just usually him. Alone. Any allies he made in battle more often than not tried to kill him in the past or would do so later. Either that, or they would fall somewhere in a hail of gunfire. And now he was set besides a man who used a solid steel plate like a scimitar and a mammal that was as fast as it was melancholy. So where did that leave him, a seemingly mortal man armed with his wits and whatever else he could acquire?

"So, what exactly did you mean that you were sent to clean up this mess? I'm guessing you meant that giant tank thing?" Cloud finally asked of his passenger. It wasn't that he minded that the gun-brandishing soldier had hopped on for a lift, but the swordsman did not quite understand the biggest piece of the adventure yet. And since it was stolen away into the night sky by that crazed fatman Robotnik, he suspected that there was something both special and ridiculous about it.

"You mean Metal Gear." Snake corrected. Which in of itself might have been too much. Even the name of that mechanical monster was spoken only in whisper of enclosed files and buildings. So, how much could he tell these two strangers? Even if they already saw Rex flash its teeth, they had not seen it roar like he had. But, if they were going after it as a trio, ignorance could be just as fatal as a bullet. "It was designed as the next generation of battle tank. Primarily designed for long range bombardment with nuclear weaponry, but its more than capable of closer quarters combat."

"And so they just sent you in after it? That's either bravery or suicide." Strife answered.

"We've had a couple of run-ins in the past. It was only a rumor that there was one being built there, after some parts turned up missing. Never expected it to be finished, or so well armed." Snake frowned.

"Giving Robotnik a toy like that ensures his tinkering with it" Shadow commented as he weaved in front of them. "You said that thing was nuclear-capable. How?"

"Well, if it's anything like the last one I saw, the rail gun on the right arm uses magnetic power to basically throw the warhead like a bullet without powder. It has enough force to even send it into orbit."

"And now the Doctor has it. Wonderful" the hedgehog grimaced without looking back to them. It made some small form of sense to him, why the crazed tyrant would complete such a project, even while under chain and lock. And here he was being handed a missile that required no fuel that left no trail of fire in the sky. Robotnik was never one to turn down an advantage, and an invisible harbinger of death was simply too sweet.

And then the idea hit him like lightning. To be sure, a nuclear weapon was devastating enough in its own right. Thousands of lives incinerated by the collision of molecules was nothing short of heavenly wrath indeed. But what were to happen if such a reaction was tampered with? By definition, a Chaos Emerald was a gemstone of raw power. Shadow could use it to warp through space instantly and summon its great energies to strike down any foe. _If the Doctor were to somehow incorporate all that energy into such a missile like that, its power would be… limitless! But if he had such a weapon, why didn't he use it already?_

"So, who exactly is this Robotnik? I didn't think anyone but Shin-Ra could build machines like that?" Cloud asked, twitching at the throttle to keep up.

"Doctor Robotnik specializes in all forms of mechanical monsters like that, but he usually works alone. His ego won't acknowledge anyone else his equal" answered the ultimate life-form.

"Though I'm guessing he got the plans from somewhere else. The basic design of that thing was created by DARPA and a few other government agencies. Though I've never heard of this Shin-Ra you keep referring too. Are they working for the Pentagon too? Is that where that stone came from?" Snake asked. Even if the master of stealth and subterfuge didn't understand the exact motives of his sudden teammates, the fact that they would fight so hard proved that there was more to this than they knew individually. And though he understood secrecy, Snake despised going into battle without as much information as he had bullets.

The swordsman shook his head "Shin-Ra isn't part of anything like that anymore. Not for the past year or so. And they didn't create the Black Materia. Some say the Planet did that itself, like a concentration of all the hatred in the world."

Shadow's ears suddenly perked up at that "The Planet made it? So, it's like the Chaos Emeralds?"

"The what?" Snake asked. Cloud simply furrowed his brow, and the ultimate life-form filled in the blanks about the gemstones. The description made the swordsman's muscles stiffen and his blood run piping hot. Gunning the engine to its red-line, Snake had to grab onto the frame for dear life to not be thrown off as the pair sped forward even faster. "I take it this isn't good?" sarcastically pondered the silent solider.

"The Black Materia is used to summon Meteor, the ultimate destructive magic. After it was stopped last time, it was thought to have been shattered, but a large enough piece might be enough to recreate it when paired with a stone like those Emeralds" Cloud abridged.

"Meteor? Is it as bad as it sounds?"

"Its _exactly_ like it sounds. The heavens fall and the world is shattered into dust."

Darting back alongside the motorcycle, Shadow simply asked "And you think that this materia can be further empowered by a Chaos Emerald…"

"Which could be launched at any target on the planet thanks to Metal Gear" Snake added.

"Basically we have an invisible, untraceable apocalypse being held by a man who would delight in nothing more than hanging it over our heads so that we bow in submission" the hedgehog finished.

"You don't think he'd actually use it?" Strife questioned.

"Doubtful. Robotnik cant rule over a planet after its destroyed. Though he's never been one to make rational decisions under pressure" said Shadow.

"Well, that works out for one, what about the other two? Would that guy you're fighting be reckless enough to use it?" Snake posed to the swordsman, who nodded in reply. "Chang used to be a Turk, a member of Shin-Ra who specialized in legalized terror. Murder, extortion and blackmail. Anything to keep their boss in power. Though now they've been working with the WRO to rebuild what they destroyed earlier all around the world. And that's how he found the stone I think."

"Sounds like he missed his calling, G.U.N. could use a bastard with those kinds of marks" Shadow muttered to himself.

"What about the man in the tank? Do you know him?" Cloud queried Snake. The stealthy warrior shook his head "Whoever he is, he's in the military, and has some deep ties to pull of a coup like this. Most likely special ops. But that's just a guess. Some of those weapons aren't from around here, so he's got most likely got friends in shady places."

"Wonderful, could this _get_ anymore complicated?" responded the blonde in angry sarcasm.

"I can only imagine" answered Shadow "And where the hell is that supposed ride you summoned?"

"That's what I'm wondering. Highwind is never this…" Cloud began to answer, but was interrupted by the thunderous drone of six massive rotors as a massive airship swooped in almost low enough to bounce its belly off the freeway. It was nothing like Snake or Shadow had ever seen, nor did it even look like it should fly in the first place. With the head of a ram, twin stacks of swirling blades and low-swept wings, the _Shera_ was always a welcome sight in the swordsman's eyes. From the rear of its low hanging observation pod, it extended a ramp that scraped off the blacktop a few times as the ship pulled ahead of the trio. Gunning the engine of his bike, the blonde pulled his ride up onto its back wheel, catching the front on the incline and driving up into the hold. Needing no such help, the ultimate life-form simply leapt onto the steel as it rose to lock shut.

"Like I said, he's never late" Cloud finished, shutting down the bike as Snake settled back onto the solid floor. Shadow merely gave a classic 'humph' and crossed his arms.

Heavy boots clambering down the stairs announced the arrival of someone new before they were in view. All three of them turned to see as an older shaggy-haired man descended from the walkway above, longspear in one hand a sweet nicotine stick in the other. "You got any goddamn idea what fuckin time it is, spikey?" he asked, causing Snake to smirk a little.

"Yea, I know. I'll buy you a drink or two next time we're at Tifa's place" Cloud responded.

"Shit, ya better grab the whole bottle for…" Cid retorted before he set his eyes on the ebony hedgehog and nearly dropped the cigarette from his fingers "What da hell is that thing?! Some kinda porcupine!?"

The shortest warrior glared at the human. If this were any other circumstance, the ebony hedgehog would have blasted the poor soul back through the hull of his own ship. "My name is Shadow. And who the hell are you?"

The man shook off the shock of the fact the black ball of fur just spoke at him and laughed "Ha! Never heard ol Red have that kinda backtalk! Name's Cid. Cid Highwind, ace pilot and astronaut. And this 'ere is the _Shera_, fastest airship in the world."

"This thing? It looks like a blimp crashed into a junkyard" muttered the hedgehog. Which only served to infuriate its owner "Whatda _hell_ didja just say!?"

While the others bantered back and forth, Snake almost jumped as the codec rang in his ear again. In all the excitement and unusual rushes, he had almost forgotten that he'd asked Otacon to find out more about what was going on "This is Snake, go ahead."

"Snake, I have the file on Col. Prescott and… are you …_flying_ right now?!" the otaku inquired as he caught a glimpse of the satellite image of where his friend was.

"Yea. It's a long story, but it looks like I'm not the only one who wants to make sure that Metal Gear isn't used." Snake confirmed.

"Like who, another agency? I know that DARPA has tried to keep a tight lid on the thefts; otherwise they'd lose funding from Congress. But I'd think that the Dept of Homeland Security would be in on this, since this is still a regional incident."

"Unless their soldiers normally use steel plates for swords or have some kind of altered hedgehog on retainer, I doubt this is the DHS. Or any advertised organization" shrugged the master of stealth.

_Now _this_ sounds like an anime _Dr. Emmerich thought, as if Shadow Moses wasn't outlandish enough, watching a super-soldier and a cybernetic ninja do battle in is lab. This was just a whole new level of implausible. "And now they've snatched you up in an airship? Are you sure you can trust them?" he asked.

Snake had to ponder that one for a second. He knew as much about Cloud as he felt he was going to get, and Shadow was even less vocal. Not that he wasn't used to that, but he wasn't used to playing the part of the rescued. Still, all things being even, Snake felt that they were more or less on common ground, with a common objective. _The enemy of my enemy is my friend… crude, but its better than nothing._ "For the time being, it looks like we all want the same thing, so I think we're stuck together. Anyway, you said you had information about Prescott?"

"Huh? Oh, right!" Otacon suddenly snapped back into the reason he called "Colonel Alfred Prescott, United States Army, Corps of Engineers. He's got a long history of duty, and maybe even more medals than you, Snake."

"Medals mean nothing on the battlefield." the solider reminded the scientist.

"Yea, I know. But it looks like this guy was a liaison to DARPA and even the White House. He was even an advisor to something called the 'Guardian Unit of Nations', whatever that is. Still, there's nothing in his record for the past year. No address, no deployments, its like he just vanished."

"Hard to say." Snake wondered as he suddenly felt the ship heave to its left "We've changed course. I'm gonna see what else I can find out for now. Let me know if you find out anything more." Otacon nodded and the channel was closed.

"We're heading for the spot that this Robotnik guy might have run, according to Shadow" Cloud informed him "It will take a few hours, so if you want to rest, take it now." With that, the swordsman headed to the upper level and disappeared from sight. Shrugging, the midnight hedgehog followed suit, leaving just Snake and Cid in the hold. Which is when the delicious sent of tobacco and serenity hit him. No longer could he resist temptation, so the stealthy soldier fished into his own pocket for a smoke. Yet instead of finding an unhealthy release, he found only irritation and a crushed pack _Must've landed on it when the roof came down on us._ "Got any spares?" he asked of the pilot.

Cid took one look at the destroyed case and grinned "Finally, someone else goddamn gets it! I was startin to feel like an ol' man with all these clean lil shitheads runnin round." As if it were a peace offering, Highwind passed his newfound passenger an almost full pack, of which Snake quickly indulged. The feeling of the smoke rolling down his lungs was calming on so many levels. "Not bad."

The pilot replied with a 'hmph' and nodded towards Snake's hip "Ya with the WRO, or independent?"

"Me? I'm just someone who got sent in to clean up a mess, and ended up finding a shitstorm."

That made Cid laugh "Yea, spikey's good fer that ai'ight. A real pain in the ass, but could be worse." Finishing off the last of his smoke, Highwind stomped out the butt on the ground under heavy boot "Still, he's gotta point. Might wanna grab a nap while the gettin's good. My guess is we're in for a party, whenever we get where we're goin. Cabin's er on the upper level, got the room since I'm only carryin yer sorry asses."

"Thanks" Snake acknowledged as Cid departed back towards the cockpit.

* * *

The way the stars seemed to flicker at him conveyed the message he was feeling already deep down inside _For billions of years, those lights have been there. Never have they known violence, greed or discrimination. All it took these humans was a few thousand years and they gave this planet all that and more…_ Shadow the Hedgehog thought to himself as stared off into the distance. Sleep was not what he needed at the moment, for rarely would it come. And when it did, it was filled with the repeating scenes of gunfire, screams and blood. Everything he'd known since creation.

Right now, however, he was too focused on his mission to let unconsciousness take over. "All I need is the Chaos Emerald. Once I have that, nothing else will matter…"

* * *

If there was one thing he hated more than being in the dark, it was being in the dark _and_ missing a good fight. He was a solider after all, not a bureaucrat like he had to pretend to be sometimes on Capitol Hill. But once he'd heard that such a beauty, such a power as Metal Gear was to be scrapped, Colonel Prescott had debated long and hard if democracy understood the need for security. And from that argument, this operation was born. He'd show the powers above just how vulnerable they were, maybe then they would understand what it felt like to be a real patriot.

Unfortunately, things had not gone as smoothly as they had on paper, and now he was strapped into the pilot's seat of a useless heap. He'd felt Rex lunge left and right, then upward as if grabbed by an angry child, but that felt like an eternity ago. For now, he simply sat, unable to squirm, cursing both the name of whomever had disrupted their operation and that overweight madman for not finishing the backup battery connections like he'd ordered.

"Are we comfy in there Colonel?" a voice crackled to life from all around him, making him jump in his chair.

"Ivo?! What the hell is going on? Get me out of there _now!_' he demanded.

Outside, Dr. Robotnik hooted out in laughter as the walking tank shuddered before the pilot's chair unlocked from its place. The light in the room nearly blinded him, but once his eyes adjusted, he could see both the doctor and the Turk staring up at him, and neither of them looking all too pleased. Once a ladder was in place, the former officer slid down to ground level and Chang grabbed him almost instantly "I suppose _that_ was you're idea of a good hiding place! I've been in taverns better guarded than that!"

Prescott tried to knock the other man's hands from his collar, but was surprised at Chang's grip "At least _I_ was doing something useful in that fight! I saw the way you just stood there like a coward, just waiting to stab them in the back like a weasel!"

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, please cease your useless chattering" Robotnik intervened. "We cant very well shake the world to its core if we cant agree on anything so crude as this. After all, there's still work to be done."

Chang snarled at the well-rounded egotist, and then threw Prescott back against the leg of Rex before stepping back. The Colonel glared back at the Turk, then at Robotnik "Where the hell are we?"

Opening his hands to the ceiling, Ivo couldn't help but grin "You're both on my private retreat. But don't get comfortable just yet. We have much to do to repair this… contraption."

"You honestly mean to fix this thing?" the suited man asked.

"Oh yes, I do. And you're going to help me. If you want that little rock of yours to be of any use, then we need to at least complete the missile. And," Robotnik pointed back toward the dormant Metal Gear, "for all it's flaws, this thing still has one very useful tool sitting on its right arm. Which means it's better off completed than sitting idle."

"So what do you propose, Ivo?" Prescott asked.

"Simple. You, my dear Colonel are going to find us the materials we need to finish your little toy. And you, Mr. Chang, are going to do what you do best and make sure nothing stands between us and those materials. Then, I'll send my worker barge down and scoop them up. Simple, clean, efficient."

"And you expect us to help you with that?" Chang asked with a sneer.

With a snap of his fingers, Robotnik answered the Turk with a confidant grin of his own as a new figure landed with a thud next to its master. Standing a full head shorter than its master, it glared at both Prescott and Chang with emotionless red eyes. Raising its central sphere with its four armor-thickened legs to be level with them, both of the other humans took a step back as two mini-gun tipped arms stared at them both at once. Patting his newest creation on the side, Robotnik added "I'm sure my little Egg Spider and his brothers can be of assistance. I've deployed them at all my bases, but I still have plenty to spare."

Prescott grinned at this solid show of determination, while Chang looked more or less unimpressed.

"Now then gentlemen," the overweight madman continued "lets give them hell."

* * *

**And so the sides are on the move, but what will they find as the new day approaches? Tune in next time!**

**Reviews always welcome**


	5. Into the Wild

**And we're back! Long time no see. Now then, where were we? Ah yes... adding fog to the path of our heroes. Shall we continue?**

* * *

By the time the sun crested over the horizon once again, the _Shera_ had left behind the city and the wreckage of the past night and found the cooled sands of the desert. It had been a long time since he'd seen such plain beauty as this, watching the very earth itself transform with every breeze from either the winds or the airship's propwash. Still, Solid Snake found himself at odds with such serenity. After all, a lot had changed in twelve hours. His missions had never been simple to be sure, but never had one been cracked apart quite like this. "A new Metal Gear it bad enough, but now this? How far does this weird chain go?" he muttered to himself as he cleaned the barrel of his SOCOM.

Underneath it all, his goal was the same; stop Prescott from reigning down the next world war and send that walking battle tank back to the scrapyard. And if it weren't for the swordsman and the hedgehog seemingly in on this plot, Snake was sure that he and Otacon could accomplish this with their usual skill.

To the master of stealth, their biggest problem was Shadow. Cloud seemed honest enough, or at least smart enough to realize what it was they were up against and not try to tempt fate. Plus, Cloud had his own single target to worry about, which happened to attach itself to Prescott and Rex, making them partners at least. But the hedgehog was reckless, absorbed in his own power and strong enough to back up whatever whim he wished. And unlike the humans, Shadow was not focused on the menace, merely what it carried. Snake didn't fully understand what a Chaos Emerald was or what kind of power it contained and that made it a huge wild card in the equation. At least Cloud sought to stop the Black Materia, another unknown factor in the day. So, how soon would it be until Shadow took what he wanted and left them behind? And what would the hedgehog do beyond that?

* * *

With one long drag at a time, the shrill sounds of steel against stone rang out in his cabin. It was a chore he had never really enjoyed, even since he was given his first blade in training, though it wasn't until he inherited the first Buster sword did Cloud Strife acknowledge the great importance of a sharpened edge. At first, it was a tool of vengeance, to strike down those who tried to destroy existence itself. And once that was done, he'd sworn to hang up his steel and find the life he'd promised fallen comrades he would. Yet it seemed that every time he thought his work was finally done, someone or something new would come along to try and undo what he and his merry band had worked for. Everyone from Tifa Lockhart the childhood friend to Red XII the spiritual wolf-lion to even Vincent Valentine to former Turk turned science experiment had rallied to the planet's defense time and again. "I promised them I'd stop this from happening, I owe them that much for everything I've done…" he whispered to the walls, certain that those who had been lost would hear it.

To the blademaster, Shadow was no different. A bit blunt in his methods to be sure, but the hedgehog understood the power of the planet. Whether these Chaos Emeralds compared in power or not to materia had yet to be seen, but the fact that such powerful stones existed tied Cloud and Shadow together in the common interests of safety if nothing else. And since Strife was no stranger to working with those non-human and rare-speaking, the ebony one did not bother him.

In fact, it was the other human that the blonde swordsman did not trust. He'd had his share of run-ins with people who worked in the shadows and struck down their enemies in back allies with silenced firepower. Some claimed to follow a chart of nobility; others were noble enough to admit that greed was their creed. So where did that put the one called Snake? Who was this mercenary working for? And how much a reward would it take before he turned his gun against them?

* * *

It was a scene he'd seen a thousand times over. Some were dour and grey, others red and violent. Each sunrise in his eyes was the start of a new race to survive and succeed; an odd goal for the ultimate life-form. Still, Shadow could not help but look back inside himself whenever he saw the sun breach into view, for it would still remind him of her. Of the innocence that was snuffed out over half a century ago and thousands of miles away by a nameless solider. But that was a long time ago, and the midnight speedster had learned quite a bit more about how to handle the world since then. This was why Snake didn't bother him. The scruffy sneaker relied on deception and guns to accomplish his means, which placed him well below any threat Shadow had faced yet. But not the Metal Gear. _That_ was power, and he had to at least acknowledge that. As long as Snake was so focused on disposing of that mechanical beast, the hedgehog had no problem snagging the Chaos Emerald in the process. And if he had to, Shadow would plant Snake right into the ground he slithered on.

_And then there was Cloud…_he pondered. The swordsman had arrived with what he saw was a single goal in mind, and it mirrored his own; steal the precious stone back from under the enemy's nose. And that was where their goals stopped being similar. Shadow fully intended to use the Emerald for its power, but what did Cloud intend for this Black Materia? Like the walking tank, the blonde rider was powerful both in striking and had just as many hidden talents, which made Shadow question if he was entirely human at all. If it had the power he vaguely explained it to have, would the soft-spoken slicer try and use it, or would opportunity override common sense? Would Shadow have to match fist for blade to make sure there was an Emerald left to use? "Not that it matters. I won't let these humans stand in my way. As long as we stay on the same page, it makes no difference how far this trip takes me. That Chaos Emerald will be mine."

* * *

"Yo! Listen up, ya goddamn freeloaders! We're almost at yer destination, so put your tray tables back where they belong and get yer skinny asses down here!" he bellowed over the intercom before taking a long drag from the day's first smoke. If there was one thing Cid Highwind really despised, it was an early morning wake up call, so he was feeling even more irritable than usual. But if they overshot their arrival thanks to autopilot, all he would hear is bitching and whining, none of which the spear-spinning flyer would approve of in his skies. Still, at least this job was easy for the moment, and the less shit he had thrown at his _Shera_, the more he'd be willing to ferry a few passengers around. Especially if he owed one of them his life a few times over. Besides, at the very least, Cid respected Cloud, and that was a rare circle indeed.

One by one did his cargo emerge, first with the sneaking soldier, adjusting the sniper rifle's strap along his back. Nodding to the pilot, Snake took the moment to examine their unusual ride. It reminded him much more of a cruise ship than one built for air, with it's smoothed lines, wide open view and even the old wooden steering wheel. If he had his camera, the veteran would have snapped plenty of pictures for Emmerich, just to see the otaku's mind explode.

"Ain't yer skinny ass forgettin somethin, or didja go through the whole fuckin pack already?" Cid asked.

Snake grinned, fishing the pack of smokes from one of his pockets. After all, it was Snake who said 'you never know how good a cigarettes tastes in the morning', so maybe some habits just didn't die. "Exotic blend. Where did you get these?"

"Those shitty things? Got em from the ol' shop in Rocket Town. Needed somethin cheap since I was spendin all my fuckin Gil modifyin this beauty."

"Hmm, might have to visit there sometime. But how can you keep from being picked up by normal radar? Something this big is sure to attract attention."

Cid looked at Snake like the solider was changing color, and then belted out a large chuckle "Ha! Yer skinny ass don't get out much, does it? One of the benefits of savin everyone on the goddamn planet means no one looks twice when I come haulin ass."

This time it was Snake's turn to look stunned "What the hell?..."

"Cid, how close are we now?" Cloud interrupted, securing one his blades to his back. Snake couldn't be sure, but it looked different and perhaps even more menacing than the last one he'd seen the blonde use.

"We should be close to this shithole. Assumin the pin cushion knows where the hell he's takin us" Highwind replied, peering out into the horizon.

"We're on the right heading, and don't ever call me a 'pin cushion' again, human" Shadow growled as he approached. Strife gave the hedgehog a respectful nod as he arrived, while Snake took to adjusting the detachable scope of his rifle. The midnight warrior gave each of them a glare before adding "We should be arriving at the oasis momentarily."

"Where? I don't see no goddamn…" Cid began, only to be silenced just as quickly as the lifeless shifting sands suddenly transformed into lush greenery and a clear sparkling pool of life. Where Cloud allowed himself a smile at this prime example of natural beauty, Cid could only picture saturating the area with scantily-clad beauties, a volleyball net and all the ice cold beers to go around. Snake was just glad to have cover from the unforgiving sun, even if their foe was also afforded the same benefit. Shadow simply folded his arms and waited. _Well Doctor, let's see which of your toys comes first, assuming you were stupid enough to leave anything behind…_

* * *

It waited silently under the shade of a palm tree, as it always had. Seasons and searing sands meant nothing to as it kept its post. Only when that which was not meant to be there approached did it flex its muscle. And such a time was now, as the dull thunder of massive rotors approached from above. Sparing no hesitation or emotion, its arms spun skyward and fires belched forth from hell itself into the intruder.

* * *

"What's that?" Snake announced as he peered through the scope, only to catch a flash of muted browns and greens. And then, the gleaming white of hot tracer rounds as something tore into the belly of the _Shera_. The sheer stream of death ripped into the belly of the airship, breaking through the glass of any window it hit. Including the one the three allies were all in front of.

Everyone but Cid either leapt down to the ground or was thrown back by pure destructive force. The pilot instinctively jerked the control wheel back and to the side "Whoa, _SHIIITT!_ HANG ON!" he yelled over the mayhem as the entire ship lurched to starboard and reverse. Though that caused the stream of bullets to carve their way across the lower bow of the ship's hull, it was the best option the surprised pilot could conjure to ensure the rest of his beloved prize wasn't chewed to mulch. Though it made a stable footing was all but impossible at the moment. Thankfully, the powerful flying stallion soared backwards like a leaf in a vacuum and cleared the tracer path, shuddering to a halt at the edge of the oasis.

"Okay, someone better explain what the _flyin fuck_ that was that just shot up my goddamn ship!" Cid yelled over the rush of the wind through his hull.

"Just as I expected, the good doctor left a welcoming party." Shadow smirked.

"And you were going to warn us about that _when_?" Cloud countered, noting the bullet holes mere inches from his torso as he stood.

Shrugging, the hedgehog turned to head toward the bay where they had entered the previous night "Next time, let me know that we are riding in an unarmed death trap, and I'll do just that." Luckily for Shadow, Highwind was too busy looking at the damage above their heads and ranting obscenities to hear them.

"We'll probably have to go on foot from here. Obviously, we were expected" Snake added, slapping a fresh magazine into the rifle. "You wanna take the bike?"

"Fenrir? No, but I'll need something from it." the swordsman thought for a second before heading to the bay as well "Cid, set us down here."

The spear-sporting flyer spun around to glare at his passengers, taking a very long draw from a freshly lit smoke to try and calm his nerves. "Oh, I'll set yer skinny asses down right here ai'ight. Then, I'm gonna set my fuckin boot right up the goddamn ass of the stupid sumbitch that just _shot up my fuckin ship_!!!"

Cloud opened his mouth to argue the point, then just shook his head. He knew how stubborn Cid could be, especially an enraged Cid packing a fistful of explosives. Nodding, the swordsman headed down into the bay, letting the shifting gravity of the descending _Shera_ make him feel weightless for just a moment. Which is when he heard it in the air, like the last echo of a starry night _You're off to fight again, aren't you?_

The swordsman smiled to himself, for he knew that sweet voice very well _Have to, I promised to stop this from happening again._

Sighing, the voice reached out to touch him, and Strife felt those slender fingers wrap around his own _Just be careful, okay? _

_I will. After all, I'm not alone, remember?_

"Time to go" Shadow growled, snapping the blonde from the surreal moment, just in time to see the ramp crack open to let the tropical heat wash over them. Flipping open the side panel of his motorcycle, Cloud grabbed another of his six blades, this one thinner and faster in battle. And coupled inside it was a small green orb, one that he had relied on a few times before.

Snake had never _seen_ so many cutting edges in one place before, so the display of cutting power made him take a subtle double look, whereas the midnight hedgehog kept his impassive scowl until the incoming rush of heavy boots caught his ears. Leaping down from the higher catwalk, the group was joined by a steaming Highwind, complete with longspear in hand. "Pin cushion's right. No time to sit n' bitch."

That garnered a much louder angry mutter from Shadow, though the ultimate life-form fell in with the group as they headed into the greenery, Cid looking over the damage as they headed forward. The ground fire had carved a trail of craters across the airship's underside, but the worst damage looked to be the shattered glass in the flight deck. Thankfully, none of the rotor blades looked damaged.

"How bad does it look?" Snake asked, keeping an eagle's eye on the path ahead through the sniper's scope.

"She's a tough ol girl, but she'll need a helluva body job to get those marks out" Cid replied, ditching his first light and fishing out another. And no sooner did the Highwind flip up his lighter did everyone freeze in place. The sounds of crushing foliage and well-oiled joints was approaching, though it was invisible for the moment among the green. On silent cue, everyone spread out to gain an edge. Snake lowered himself onto the earth and kept the rifle level, Shadow charged his fist with angry ruby energy, and Cloud and Cid took respective cover beside thicker trees with weapons ready.

One mechanical step at a time they came into view, cold ruby eyes scanning the path ahead above and death-belching miniguns still steaming in the heat. The pair had come looking for the intruder in its skies, but once they picked up new prey on the path, neither droid hesitated to fire, aiming first at the hedgehog standing to oppose them.

Snake was first to return fire, planting a sniper's round into one of the beast's eyes before rolling out of the path of carnage from drawing attention to himself. Though his target was blind, it's aim was near-fatal as hot lead buzzed passed the sneaky soldier before he managed to find a tree to pause behind. And while the Spider chewed through the wooden barrier rather quickly, it was blinded to the descending threat as the tip of a longspear embedded itself in the top of it's spherical body. Using all of his weight and momentum, Cid knocked the walker onto its back before ripping his weapon free and jamming it into the sparking socket. Twitching and firing blindly into the sky, the first droid finally went limp.

Its brethren had a much better view of the speeding midnight target and tracked it across its view, mowing down anything its firepower hit. Only too late did it notice Cloud's wide blade sweeping in, slamming down into one of it's arms and destroying half the Spider's destructive prowess before leaping back. Not to be outdone, Shadow released his charged Chaos Spear into the other half, the explosive power throwing the lifeless sentry onto its side before it detonated in an impressive fireball.

For a few moments, everyone paused in ready poses in wait of what might emerge next. It wasn't until Snake breathed a sigh of relief that the rest relaxed to standby, allowing Cid to finally fish up a new cigarette.

"Let's go." Shadow nodded before leading the rest.

"You think there will be more of those things?" Snake asked the hedgehog, who smirked in response "No doubt about it. This is going to get interesting."

* * *

Tucking a long strand of ebony hair behind her ear, she pulled down on her uniform one last time to make sure she was ready for the day ahead. _Vanity might be a guilty pleasure, but it's required to serve_ she mused, examining the shining silver bar she'd earned. She had been quite busy in the time since Shadow Moses, and though she had joined the Navy in a move seemingly contrary to her peaceful Eastern ways, Lt. Mei Ling felt that the first step to make a difference was to really experience both sides of the issue. Pacifism and patriotism sometime were bitter rivals though; luckily her duty for the moment did not put her on the battlefield. In fact, it put her in a basement on a military base in the middle of a cornfield. No sooner had she earned her commission than DARPA approached her with a job on the cutting edge of communication and detection technology, which was right up her alley. Still, she had to admit, she rather missed seeing the sun.

"Ma'am, the new phased-array system is up and running. Sergeant Lucas wants to know if you want to monitor the readings" a tech called from across the way.

"I'll be right there" she acknowledged. Heading over to the terminal, she was surprised to see a rather large group of her comrades and other contractors hovering at the same station. "What's going on?"

"The array appears to be functioning normally, but its picking up a lot of interference at 15,000 feet and heading this way." And indeed, the screen did show what looked like a rolling cloud of snow in an otherwise clear sky. "Maybe there's a problem with one of the feedhorns?"

Mei Ling thought for a moment, coming to only one conclusion "No, it looks more like a jamming signal, and it's headed this way."

"But what generates that kind of power? I've never seen anything like it!" Lucas added, only to be answered by the shrill whine of alarm horns blaring from all around.

"I think we're about to find out! Everyone take cover!"

The first explosions rocked the earth itself, she could hear the panic and chaos above as everyone dove under desks and terminals. Reaching into her uniform pocket, Mei Ling produced a small device that wrapped around her ear, and may yet save her life _Come on,… Otacon…Snake… anyone out there…please respond…_

* * *

"Are you sure there's a lab down there, Colonel? It looks like a lame excuse for an airport" Chang said as he frowned at the picture below them. To him, this so-called military base was nothing more than a runway in the middle of a cornfield. All that was missing was a huge red barn to make it truly quaint.

"It's there all right. I spent a year here as a section commander. It doesn't look like much, but that's the point. No one outside of here realizes they are next to a former nuclear weapons storage site. And being so far inland, it's out of range from most ICBMs. That's why they put Strategic Command here, along with the research lab" Prescott clarified.

"I don't see anything on the x-ray scanner. I'm assuming they have the underground levels lead-shielded?" Robotnik asked his comrade.

The officer nodded "Along with the Patriot SAM batteries surrounding the base and the lab entrance, which is here" he pointed to a large building next to the runway.

"Well then , this should be amusing indeed!" hooted the overweight genius. "My fortress will take care of the missiles; you two break into the underground levels and clear them out. Once I hear from you, I'll send down my supply barge to take everything we need."

"And you think we'll trust you to just wait up here and come at our whistle?" the ex-Turk glared at Ivo, who smiled under his outrageous mustache "Call it, a show of faith. Besides, since we're all getting what we want, why can't our merry little band come together?"

Prescott simply snorted, it was hard to believe that the scientist he'd captured but a few days ago was now dictating orders to him. Chang simply shrugged and headed for the nearest hatch. Though Robotnik had the Black Materia in his possession somewhere on the ship, the Turk had full confidence that no one else would be able to make use of it but him… or the puppet.

"And how do you propose we _get_ down there, Ivo?" asked the Colonel, only to have the mad scientist laugh at him before signaling to turn around. Prescott was then greeted by a parachute to the face from a none-so-gentle suit. "Guess you're not one for the obvious, _sir_."

Smiling in return, Prescott pulled out his own trump card from a concealed holster. Almost as large as the Beretta that was issued to him, he slipped what looked like a glowing magazine into the stock and locked the barrel back "And I suppose _you_ aren't one to appreciate ingenuity."

Chang gave only a 'humph' "Cute toy. Does it come in adult size?"

"Something the good doctor left unattended. A full charge-shot form this thing will dissolve anything short of reinforced steel" William replied "I can demonstrate if you like."

On cue, the thunderous roar of rocket engines coming alive drowned out any conversation as the Egg Carrier opened fire on the unsuspecting prey below. Those few who looked up early enough were blessed enough to witness the first salvo scorching the earth around them and digging into the hidden defenses. One by one, the SAM batteries exploded and burned, unused ammo adding their own punch. Chang could almost hear the screams and shock from below, and it made his mouth water. The Colonel could only hang his head _These young men we sacrifice today will be reborn patriots. No more will they be slaves to a spineless system…_

"Ready?" Chang asked, though he did not wait to hear the answer before kicking open one of the outbound hatches and leaping into a freefall. Around him, the heavenly roar of warhead rain rattled his very bones, but it was not enough to rattle his concentration _And so we begin the first measure._

Landing on the roof of the target as the second volley punched into the ground it, the ex-Turk could hear the alarms echoing from within, and the bullets bouncing off the edges of the ledge trying to reach him. Peeking over the side as Prescott landed, he could see the armed guards scrambling out of the bull's-eye'd building to defend their fortress. Instinctively, the officer took cover at the suit's side "Spirited aren't they? Hell's fire is coming down in them, yet they stand strong." He punctuated the point by peering over into the hail of bullets and firing one, two, three quick bursts in return and causing a little panic of his own.

Chang grinned, producing a small glowing crimson orb and seating it into the handle of his hatchet "Then let's see how they handle it's fury…" With that, the stone flashed in a moment's birth of energy, the spark leaping down from the building and onto the ground behind the defenders. Only a brave few dared to look behind them, the rest kept their guns leveled against the intruders. Those who turned saw an ebbing cloud of black fog begin to seep from the ground, and turned their guns toward it.

And then it barreled upwards from the ground, Zantetsuken in hand and six-legged stallion breathing smoke. None of the defending guards stood a chance as Odin plowed through them, swinging his massive blade and cleaving anything and everything that was in his path. It was all over outside in a few panicked seconds before the ancient knight crashed through the building. "That should be big enough for that fatass to squeeze through" Chang commented as he leapt over the side. Though the scene that greeted him inside the shelter almost made his jaw unhinge "Colonel, I think we've hit the jackpot."

The former commander ran to the ex-Turk side in a huff, but as soon as he saw what it was that sparked his ally's interest, he too had to smile. Not only was the entrance to the underground easily marked, but stacked high and carefully were a dozen cone-shaped devices, longer than they were tall and all marked in bright colors to indicate their volatile nature. "Nuclear warheads… I guess they restarted the deactivation center here after I left. Interesting…"

"Come on, there's our way in" Chang started, before the officer grabbed him on the arm. "Not through there. By now, the entry tunnel is flooded with gas, probably complete with an electrified floor."

Pondering for a moment with a frown, the suit simply asked "How far underground do you think they are hiding?"

"I'd say at least thirty, forty feet. What are…" he began to question, but was silenced by braying of a demon steed. Then they cry of the warrior himself as Odin spun his blade faster and faster before slamming it into the concrete floor. Try as it might, the stone did not hold, nor did the lead barrier underneath as the summoned one dissipated with one last strike, leaving a whole wide enough to drop an eighteen-wheeler through and not scratch it.

" Now then, which way?" asked the Turk as he headed down. Wordlessly, Prescott picked his jaw up from the ground and lead them through the open vein until they reached the lab airlock. As was the fate of everything above, this door collapsed as Chang hacked it into pieces. Inside, officers, enlisted and civilians alike raised their hands.

"Sorry to interrupt ladies and gentlemen, but you have some things we need. Surrender them and you will all get to go home today."

* * *

**So the score is: The baddies have nukes and the supplies they were looking for, while the good guys have a damaged ship and probably a good reception waiting for them. **

**Yea, they'll be fine.**

**Reviews welcome!**


	6. Hideout

**I honestly cannot believe it has been so long since I updated this story. I feel a bit embarrassed by that, so I will redouble my efforts to make sure this doesn't happen again.**

**For now, enjoy the latest installment of the Lone Wolf Association.**

* * *

When some use the term 'interesting', one would come to expect something intriguing and engaging. Like a puzzle or a maze, or a test of the mind. As this group was now learning, whenever Shadow the Hedgehog used the word 'interesting', it meant a gauntlet or other near-insane battle. Even as unlikely allies approached their target, they could hear lifeless footsteps of those who would keep them at bay. Granted, most of them were used to the odds being stacked against them, but none of the group felt like walking into a murderous blender for the moment.

The base, or at least the entrance to it, looked as bland and normal as any other hanger Snake had snuck into before despite its more bulbous shape, though the shimmering bubble around it reminded Cloud and Cid of the same shield that housed their greatest foe deep in a crater at the peak of the world. And when completed with the dozen Spider drones surrounding it like a school of fish, it was anyone's guess on how to break in.

Carefully, the master of stealth had slinked his way around the structure, in search of an opening or a crack in the wall. While his skills and years of practice let him scout without being seen, Snake saw no other way inside than the rather obvious front door. As long as they could defeat both these robotic nuisances and crack the shell over the building, nothing outside stood against them.

"The front door is the best way in. Any ideas on how to get to it?" asked the sneaky soldier.

Crossing his ebony arms, the ultimate life-from gave them a bored glare "Simple. We smash the doctor's toys and break into his little hideout. Inside should be the information we need to track down his airship."

"That's all the goddamn motive _I_ need! Move aside bitches n' I'll blow this shitheap open!" the pilot announced, preparing to leap in his signature attack before being held down by the other humans "Hold on a sec, Highwind! Those things could turn you into a damn mist!" Cloud countered.

"So, wadda we do? Just sit here like assholes on a log and wait for fuckin old age ta hit us so these shitpiles rust?"

"Tempting though that is, I doubt we have that kind of time" answered the ultimate life-form. "Still, perhaps we should let Highwind do as he pleases."

"FINALLY! Fuckin pin-cushion's talkin some goddamn sense!"

That made Cloud scowl as he peered around the tree he was using as cover back at their opponents "He'd have to get too close. Barrett might be able to do it, maybe Yuffie or Vincent, but they aren't here."

"Too close? Ain't you ever seen me fuckin fight spikey?" retorted Cid as he opened his oil-stained coat slightly to reveal the dozen sticks of dynamite tucked inside.

"Do you always carry explosives around like candy?" Snake could not help but ask, earning a grin from Highwind "Ya never know when shit's gotta be blown up!"

"So, you bring something useful to the table after all" Shadow added with his own sneer. "This should make things much easier."

With that, a simple plan was laid out. Cid would get their attention with some of the explosives in his pocket, much to the pilot's satisfaction. Then each of the group would attack from a different direction, keeping the Spiders from covering each other en masse. Without that vital support of numbers, even melee masters like Cloud or Cid would be able to smash through the line. The energy shield was still an issue, but it wasn't going anywhere, so for the moment it was a moot point.

First came the sensitive part of getting everyone in position without one of the drones lighting up the trees. Being the fastest member of the group, Shadow swept around to the rear of the hanger, with Cloud and Snake on the left and right respectively. Granted, sneaking through a forest with a massive metal slicer on one's back was difficult at best, so Cloud had to sprint into line to make it in time to strike. For the most critical part of a team strike like this was timing, each member tearing through the enemy in unison to eliminate any threat of a counter.

As difficult and precarious as this was, Cid was still grinning from ear to ear. "Nobody, but fuckin _nobody_ takes a shitshot at my ship…" he snarled as the explosive's fuse lit from his cigarette. And on a quick three-count, the deadly cylinder flew threw the air with precision and landed at the foot of one of the Spiders. Instantly, its neighbors turned to look as the robot rotated to peer at this intrusion. Seeing only a small spark of heat flickering from the ground, the closest Spider leaned in for a closer scan, as did the pair surrounding it.

A rather deadly mistake when dealing with explosives.

In a thundering blast of soil and fire, two of the robots were shredded into metal confetti. The last of the three was knocked back onto its core, legs flailing and guns firing wildly into the sky. It never saw the source of the explosive as the lighting quick tip of an angry spear tore through its vulnerable underbelly. Sparks and wiring jutted out from the wound and the Spider fell silent. Ripping his weapon back out of the titanium corpse, Cid flicked open his lighter to indulge in another smoke "Serves you ugly lil pricks right!"

As soon as the blast went off, every sentry twisted to scan the source, raising up on their legs and bringing their cannons to bear at the entrance. Swinging out from his cover against a large tree, Snake leveled his sniper rifle against his shoulder and took aim. Only the chirp from the barrel served to warn its target as the first round bore through the vital area behind the Spider's eye and into the shielded building in front of him. Falling like a tin can, the loss of its comrade attracted another's attention as it reversed its gaze and fired. Jumping back into the foliage, the stealthy soldier placed two rounds into the face of his opponent, detonating the drone in a small supernova among the jungle along with the thousands of unused rounds of ammunition. Instinctively, Snake dove to his belly for cover as a shower of armor-piercing death sprayed out in all direction, tearing into the shied, any and all foliage nearby and the last member of the mechanical sentries.

Sweeping his rifle around, Snake made sure there was nothing in the immediate area to shoot back, before picking up an unspent round and smirking. The steel that had just been flying at him was the same caliber as his assault rifle and SOCOM, so the veteran soldier took a few quick seconds to refill his magazines.

Not everyone had the distinct advantage of range, as was the case of the swordsman. Under the shade of thick shrubbery, Cloud placed the small jade orb into his smaller blade and let it shine. It had been a long time since he had felt the protective energies of the perfected Barrier materia wrap around him like a cloak. He had never liked dashing into a fight like this, but compared to any number of others he had sliced through, this was just practice. The thundering sounds of dynamite tearing apart metal tipped the advantage to the ex-SOLDIER as he sprang into action. With their sides to the attack, the three drones did not notice his approach until it was much too late. Cloud's first swing cracked the speed of sound as he buried his blade into and through his first target, the direct center of the three. Only the whispering whine of the two halves falling apart attracted the other two, before Cloud swept through the legs of another and dropped it uselessly to the dirt. Finally, the last drone realized it was in deep trouble and opened fire. Hundreds of rounds belched forward from its arms, only to pelt uselessly against the Barrier's magic, giving Strife the extra few seconds he needed against the bullet buzzsaws to counter with a one-two-three cleave. The Spider froze for a moment, trying to compute what had just hit it, as its guns fell cleanly from its body before the top half of the robot split open like a titanium banana.

Speed was a gift built on impatience, which became both a benefit and a vice depending on the moment. Right now, the ultimate life-form was practically snarling in anxiety. Putting a dozen or a thousand of these mechanical insects out of commission required not but a flick of his wrist, but that would yield nothing. These trashcans would not surrender the location of their master or his treasure. Shadow laid his bounty on those answers being sealed inside this fortress. That required a subtle touch, which is where the rest of the players would come in.

The thunder and scream of metal being shredded apart pulled his ruby eyes open. With their backs turned to him, the drones had no awareness of their impending end. Launching from his cover, the ebony hedgehog pulled himself into the patented spinball and raced forward as a missile. None of the three sentries stood a chance as Shadow bowled through them like so much hot butter. The feeling of metal tearing against his momentum was most satisfying, but the sudden halt as he collided with an energy wall surprised him. Few were the elements that could hold their own against the ultimate life-form, but for something to actually repel him was most infuriating. Digging deeper into his turbulent core, Shadow poured even more power into his attack, the crimson glow of angry energy surrounding him. Yet the more energy he pushed into the barrier, the harder it fought back until the shield slammed the ebony hedgehog back onto his feet. "Interesting choice Doctor. Just what are you hiding in here?"

* * *

_Meanwhile, thousands of miles away…_

Watching his comrades wreck all havoc below him brought a smile to his mustache. It may have lacked the certain elegance that came from his mechanical fist sweeping away the base's defenses, but Ivo Robotnik would admit that there were always more theatric ways to decimate. _Such as summoning a swordsman from Hell, I might have to remember that one _he chuckled.

The chirping of the fortress' radio shook him from his adulation "Done already? I would have thought you to have that monster carve your initials into the ground."

"Cute, Doctor" Chang sneered through the airwaves "We've secured the base. Prescott assures me that our approach is clear, so you can come down from your hiding place and pick up a few new toys."

"Splendid! Try not to break anything else and I'll be right there" the mad scientist snickered as he headed for the belly of his fortress where the barge was kept. It seemed like things were going quite smoothly at the moment. At least until the radio came alive again with a wail "Dr Robotnik, intruders detected at Paradise Base! Sensors detect three humans and"

"Silence your pathetic panicking! It's probably a few wayward travelers looking to wet their whistles with my water."

"Negative Doctor. Intruders arrived by unknown aircraft. Primary defense units destroyed."

_That_ stuck a foul nerve. It would not have been the first time a brave military unit had discovered his base, and while they never made it back out of there alive, they always managed to make a mess of things before they died "Well then, we can't have those interlopers poking any further in. Send out the Egg Panzer and kill them." He then switched back to his friends on the ground "Let's make this quick gentlemen. We have too much left to do."

"Trouble in Paradise, Ivo?" answered the Colonel.

"No trouble, William. Just a few pesky flies being fried in the desert."

On the ground below, the Colonel shook his head "Just don't get too carried away" and silenced the channel. On the opposite corner of the room, the technicians and other workers huddled in collective fear under the annoyed gaze of the ex-Turk. Chang was never a fan of babysitting, and knew full well that the longer they were there, the more likely it was that one of these sniveling worms would try something bold and stupid. He would much rather skip the pleasantries and be rid of them now. The way the cowered in fear of his presence was a mix of tantalizing and sickening. As a Turk, Chang knew how to use power, and the powers of subterfuge and subtlety were very useful indeed. But normally, that fear was short-lived as his assignment was over quickly. Watching over these sheep as they tried to sort out how their world just became upside-down was evaporating his patience. Particularly for the lecture he was sure to get from the Colonel if he chose to just apply his trade anyway. But there was one face among the fearful that stood out to him, Oriental features not unlike his own, though hers were reigned in under military regulations and standards. Grinning wickedly, Chang leaned in and whispered "Do I frighten you, little mouse?"

She turned away from his gaze, but try as she might, he easily lifted her chin back up with the flat of his blade "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

The way her eyes sparkled with dread as she started to realize what he had in mind made the former corporate hitman positively ecstatic inside. Leaning in to steal a most unwelcome embrace, Chang's ideas were suddenly interrupted by a strong arm on his shoulder as the Prescott pulled him back "Keep in it your pants. We're here to work. The barge just landed, so let's go."

"Of course Colonel" he replied, twisting his wrist to slap away the woman's face with the hilt of his weapon before turning away. And with a blurred swing with a surprised gurgle, his hatchet cleanly sliced through the throat of one of the other nameless faces as Chang departed.

"What the _hell_ was that!" William yelled in disbelief.

"Work" came the cold reply.

* * *

With the drones disposed of, the group recovered at the main entrance, all the while pondering how to smash the shell around it.

"Well, did anyone bring a can opener?" Cloud asked sarcastically.

"I thought that was your department. Isn't that what those are for?" Snake replied with a snort.

Shaking his head, Shadow walked right up to the defensive shield, reached out with a single finger and prodded it, much to the utter shock of everyone else. As the ultimate life-form expected, while it felt like sticking his digit into warm water, the energy would not part "Don't bother. It repels all physical attacks."

Stomping an exhausted butt into the ground, Cid growled and leveled his spear "That's cause yer poking it like a damn pussy. Lemme show ya how to bust this goddamn bubble!" And with a testosterone-charged yell, the pilot vaulted forward, only to feel his weapon skip over the structure like glass before his own cheek collided with it and spilled him over. While it provided a much needed snicker to the other humans, the hedgehog simply shook his head in stupefied amazement. In short order, the swordsman went to help his friend, leaving Snake to ask "So how else do we get in? It sounds like you know something."

"I've seen it before" was all the reply the soldier would receive before noticing the hedgehog's fist was glowing in crimson energy. The ultimate life-form gave no warning as he launched the Chaos Spear forward, the opposing energies exploding on contact.

"Did that help?" Snake called over the blast.

Suddenly, the base came alive with sirens and blazing ruby lights. But that was not the surprise. The shock came when the shield suddenly faded away into nothing, only to see the main door hiss open, revealing an unlit corridor into the void. Smirking at his own efforts, the ultimate life-form replied "Robotnik always was one to underestimate his"

Whatever his briar was, Shadow never had the chance to complete it, for a blast echoed out from the hall and an explosion rocked the ground at his feet, throwing the hedgehog back against and through a solid tree.

"Damn! It was a trick! Hit it fast!" Snake yelled, peering out from the protective corner of the door and unloading his automatic rifle into the darkness. Cloud and Cid took the opposing side, the latter lighting a second explosive and throwing it inside. The sounds of ricochet and detonation flooded the oasis, smoke belching out from the base, but there was no return attack. Only the smoke billowing out of the entrance greeted them.

"Did we get it?" asked the swordsman as he peeked his gaze around the doorway. And yet again, a powerful blast leapt forth and tore through the door frame.

"We need to draw it out!" Snake called out, rolling out of his cover and starting backwards into the tree line, hoping to draw out whatever stood against them. Taking the cue from the solider, the ex-SOLDIER vaulted back from his cover and out of the doorway's sight, almost having to pull the pilot along and jumping into the greenery.

As expected, once they were out of sight, their opponent came rumbling towards them out of the building. Fitting to its name, the treaded behemoth sported a large twin-barreled turret on top of a armor-coated core. Peeking out the top of its cab, another mini-gun turret topped with a glowing red sensor eye swiveled around to seek its prey. And splashed across its forward bumper, the painted visage of its creator stared out at them, complete with bright orange mustache.

Never being one to be rational, Highwind was first to strike, chucking another stick of explosive onto the roof of the Panzer. Though much to his dismay, the dynamite exploded harmlessly against steel. And much to his dread, the droid quickly turned its turret to face them and fired both of its main guns, catching and breaking the remaining energy of Strife's protective Barrier and tossing the human backwards into the ground.

Seizing the moment, Snake took off in a dash, emptying one of his rifle's magazines at the sensor. However, like the explosive, round after round pinged helplessly off of defensive metal. To reply the over-arching gun belched lead back at the wily veteran soldier, who barely managed to slither out of the way and into complete cover with an growling "Damn! "

Suddenly, and crimson energy erupted from the forest, and with an angered howl, a midnight ball of force slammed into the side of the Panzer and managed to lift it off its side. Though try as he might, Shadow's momentum was still limited by such confined spaces and gravity was not on his side, forcing him to break his spinball and dart out of the line of fire to Snake's side.

Not to be outdone, the swordsman shook the sand from his hair and the ringing from his ears and leapt forward, burying the tip of his blade into the armored hide of the robot. The sudden break in its skin caught its full attention, forcing its protective turret to spin upwards to counter Cloud. Realizing quickly what was about to come, the ex-SOLIDER jumped over the hulk of the Panzer, ripping into the plating as he did. Though the sudden momentum also yanked the tank back onto its wheels where it belonged.

And as soon as its treads connected with the ground again, its two main cannons belted shot after shot in a very successful effort to catch anything green in view on fire, and sending the separated heroes back together.

"We need to hit it all at once!" Snake announced as the main turret finished its twist again facing them down.

"Then shut yer fuckin yap and smash it!" Cid countered while tossing his gruff comrade a stick of dynamite, which was all the encouragement the rest needed.

With a speed worthy only of the ultimate life-form, Shadow burst forth into a second spinball, screaming forth in blood red energy and slamming into the bow of the Panzer, forcing it backwards and into the side of the building it guarded.

Acting in tandem came the swordsman and the viper, Cloud cleaving through one cannon barrel once, twice, three times over while Snake tossed the lit explosive down the other and shredded it in a welcome blast.

Finally, the Highwind took back to the skies and brought his full weight into the tip of his lance, burying it down the sensor eye and further still into the body before vaulting off as the sparks and circuits followed in his wake.

Finally, as the smoke cleared and the shrapnel fell, the Panzer did not seem to stir.

"Well that went well" quipped Cloud, sheathing his blade.

"Don't be so sure it's over yet. That was one of the Doctor's simpler toys," Shadow added.

"Says the furball who got his scrawny ass blasted 'cross the damn woods," Cid chuckled, lighting a new smoke.

"What do you mean 'simple'" Snake asked directly, which gave the apparently dead contraption its cue. Damaged turbines squealed back to life as explosive bolts were blown free. And with a blast of compressed air and smoke, the damaged turret of the Panzer hovered above the wreck of its body, effortlessly floating above their reach. Its once damaged cannon barrels fell free, exposing its true firepower in a stocked honeycomb of deadly rockets.

"Ah, fuck!" cursed the airship captain.

Fortunately for them, fate had a sharpened sense of timing. Only moment's cry announced another intruder, as a bright ruby bullet streaked down from the sky, through the floating contraption and its former housing before burying itself into the soil below. With no sense or sensation for what had just befallen it, the droid detonated in a splendid fireball, with hundreds of unused warheads mixing into the blaze. The sheer force of the blast pushed back against the team, but none of them balked against it.

"What the hell…" was the best retort Snake could say. A puzzlement made more complex by what then arose from the flaming metal carcass. Clean red fur and dreadlocked crown accented by a clean white crescent collar covering deceptively massive strength and violet eyes long used to the switches of battle. Upon its hands sat a pair of spiked gauntlets that earned him his name; Knuckles the Echidna. "Finally found it. Never thought I'd be back here again."

"Ya gotta be shittin me! There's more 'a them?" exclaimed a stupefied Highwind.

"Echidna? What are you doing here?" questioned the ebony hedgehog, surprising the new arrival out of his focus "Huh? Shadow? What are you…?" It was then that Knuckles saw his hedgehog compatriot was not alone, and years of experience with Dr. Robotnik had taught the echidna not to trust the species. Bracing into a combat stance, Knuckles growled and prepared to strike before Shadow stepped between him and the humans.

"They're not the reason you came here, guardian. Why are you here?"

"I came to get this," he replied, reaching into his glove to pull out a small piece of glowing gemstone, "Robotnik tried to steal the Master Emerald a few weeks ago, but I managed to shatter it before he got too far. I've been hunting down the pieces ever since. I've got most of them, and I know there's more of it here. But I thought Sonic tore this place down already."

"Humph. Faker always was sloppy" the hedgehog snorted.

"I don't suppose you would mind filling us in on just who the hell is?" asked Cloud.

"Name's Knuckles. Member of the Echidna tribe and guardian of the Master Emerald. And you are?"

"Cloud. That's Cid over there"

"That's Cid Highwind, pilot extraordinaire, freakin dumbass!"

The last member of the group gave no introduction, as he was peeking inside the building "Looks clear. Come on."

Much to their surprise, the new arrival was first in line "There's another shard in here somewhere, and I'm gonna find it. You comin, Shads?"

"Don't call me that, echidna" the other non-human growled, bringing Highwind a big grin "HA! 'Shads'! I like you already, bruiser!"

Though the main hallway into the building was lit only by the destroyed doorway, the master of stealth led the way with little difficulty. One by one, the few security cameras and minor drones were silenced by .45 slugs as they advanced, before they entered the core of the structure. And as was fitting an insane genius, the walls were stacked to no end with computers and monitors, piping in views all over the globe.

"Look at this. He's got feeds in Edge, Rocket Town, even the Golden Saucer" noted the swordsman, suddenly feeling a chill toward the snooping intelligence they faced.

"D.C., Beijing, Moscow, even Pyongyang. How can he have so much surveillance gear and still get caught?" asked Snake.

"No one said he had common sense. Idiot probably forgot to lock the front door" Knuckles replied, searching everything in sight for what his senses told him was close.

"Shit son! That's a bigass fuckin hanger!" Cid's voice echoed from across the way, pulling everyone else's attention. And indeed, the pilot was gawking at an empty cradle, massive enough to hold several of his airships.

"Good, we're on the right path" commented the ultimate life-form.

"And we're lookin fer the goofy-ass sombitch that flies somthin that big! Fuck, I jes might shake his hand 'fore I kick his ass past the goddamn moon!"

Nodding, Snake headed back to the computer terminals "First, we need to find it." With that, he tapped his codec on "Otacon, we've found the hanger of that giant airship."

On the other end, the otaku sighed in relief "I was beginning to worry. Snake, that thing attacked Grant Air Force Base. We think they may have been after the nuclear warheads they have there."

Even after years of service in the deadliest career, the mention of such cruel tools shook the veteran to his core "Damn! This is insane!"

"It gets worse. Snake… it's Mei Ling."

Emmerich did not need to finish his sentence before his comrade felt his stomach crash "Is she…?"

"We're not sure. She called me on the codec but I didn't get much. I'm on my way their now with the rescue team. I'll find her Snake."

"I'm counting on you, Otacon."

"I know, Snake. In the meantime, is there anything there you can use to help us find this thing?"

"Maybe," replied Snake as his hands scanned across the controls and keys of a dozen interfaces, "this is some complex technology though."

Try as he might, the hacker inside Otacon smiled "I always like a challenge. Do you still have R.I.T.A.?"

From his belt, Snake pulled out what seemed to be an ordinary flash drive "You mean this thing you gave me before I left?"

"That's it! It's a Remote Interface and Transfer Assembly. If you can find a spot for it, I'll try cracking into the system from here. There has to be something we can use in there."

"Right" the soldier nodded as he began to search. A moment later, his palm encountered just what he had hoped to find. "Found it."

"Okay, here we go" answered Dr. Emmerich as the channel was filled the flurry of keystrokes.

Suddenly, a loud crash jolted everyone back to alert. Snake immediately brought his SOCOM to the ready, Cloud braced with his sword and Cid gripped his lance, aching for more action. A second clash of metal focused them all to Knuckles, who was smashing his fists into a wall. Much to their surprise, the metallic barrier caved and twisted out of the smaller echidna's way. With ease, he tossed an entire section of wall aside before shouting in triumph "Yes! I found it!"

At the same moment, a voice rang in Snake's ear "Yes! I found it!"

"Otacon?" he queried, pulling everyone else back to the data wall. Knuckles happily sliding another sliver of Emerald into his glove before joining the rest.

"Snake, I found the uplink frequency that that airship is using to connect to a satellite network. I can track it now."

"We have to find a way to bring it down. Can you hack into the controls from there?"

The otaku shook his head "Sorry, I don't have the tools I need in the mobile setup. But if the specifications on this are real, then it's gonna be a demon to bring down. I don't think anything we normally use is gonna be enough."

The idea struck his mind like lightning "Otacon, do you still have access to that list of foreign mercenaries that Philanthropy keeps?"

"Yea, I have it here. But who in their right mind would take on a job like this?"

"When dealing with a demon, it's time to call in a Demon Lord."

* * *

"Dr. Robotnik, the Egg Panzer has been destroyed. Enemies have penetrated Paradise Base" reported the Carrier's computer, riling the genius to no end. "What? That's not possible! How dare those little ingrates break into my hanger! Just who the hell are they?"

"Sensors confirm three humans, one hedgehog and one echidna currently on the premises."

"Echidna?" repeated Ivo, before chortling out a loud chuckle. "So, that fool tracked me all the way there so soon, did he? Bravo Knuckles, bravo indeed."

"More delays Doctor?" Prescott asked as he approached, a mirthfully content Turk in tow.

"Not at all Colonel. Just a little something I've been keeping an eye on. After all, one can never have too many options."

Chang shrugged before he noticed a small stain of red on his suit and sighed "So what next? Go back and kill them too? Why do you two get to have all the fun?"

"Killing un-armed combatants, even officers, isn't the way I do things Turk. Maybe if you had a shred of honor…"

"And maybe _you_ should grow a spine, Prescott. Leaving them alive means they are going to know what we look like and they may even try and track us!"

Smiling wryly, the military man shook his head "Too late for that. As soon as the first battery was destroyed, an alarm was sent via optic cable to the capital. The nearest fighter base isn't far, and those F-16s can be a pain in anyone's ass."

Unfazed, Robotnik hooted another chuckle "Well then gentlemen, now that our belly is full, we best be on our way. You two have things to do."

Scoffing, the Colonel pointed out into the sky "And you think those soldiers are going to just let us fly away? Even this barge has limits, Ivo!"

"It's also full of surprises, William. Remember?" Robotnik smiled wide and snapped his fingers. Instantly, the sky in the viewport took on a deep golden hue for a flash, and off in the distance fell the specks and smolders of several former aircraft and their masters. "Now then, I believe you toy sitting in ship's belly needs your attention. Any questions?"

* * *

**Always has to have the last word, doesn't he?**

**This chapter has been sitting at half done for far too long. ****That can't happen again. **

**A cookie to the first person to guess who will be starring next...**

**Reviews always welcome!  
**


	7. Enter a Demon, Awaken a Titan

**And we're back with a brand new addition to this wonderful little madhouse. I'm curious to see who all will know who this is before the story tells who it is.**

* * *

Some in his line of work never knew where they belonged, as they were shuffled around more frequently than most. Others were the first to admit that they felt at home wherever the biggest paycheck was, as anything else was just an empty name or useless title. But to him, home was never out of sight, so none of those worries ever rattled him. On the brightest days or blackest nights, all he had to do since he could remember was simply look up, and know that there in the sky was where he belonged. It was a cruel mistress at times, but through hurricanes of clouds and missiles alike, she had never lost her appeal in his eye. Such was the case today, as the sun was framed perfectly between the mountain peaks in front of him, making the blue tint of his wingtips gleam. All the while he ran through the pre-flight checklist. Just as he had a thousand times before, he ticked off every step to ensure he was as perfect as his wings, "Flaps, check. Fuel tank, topped. Weapons load, standby. Throttle check." With a twitch of his wrist on the lever 50,000 pounds of thrust roared to life and nudged his F-15C Eagle forward, with the temptation to scream skyward.

"This is the control tower. Everything looks good from here. Did you want to run through the mission details one last time? You won't have any AWACS support on this one."

Smirking to himself, the fighter pilot clicked the visor on his helmet down over his eyes "Shouldn't be a problem, tower. The client is already in pursuit of the target. I just need to play babysitter for them. Bad as they made it sound, it couldn't be nearly as harsh as the XB-0. Just make sure that that tanker is up on orbit by the time I get there. Don't wanna run out of gas before I get this check."

"Roger that. Galm One, you're clear for takeoff."

"Galm" came the reply, as Cipher pushed the throttle forward to maximum, making his Eagle roar with power as it lurched forward on afterburner. As soon as the fighter had lifted gently from the ground, her master pulled this stick into his lap, standing the warplane onto its tail and racing straight up into the clouds before swapping belly for back and leveling off while inverted. Bringing his engines back to cruising speed and rolling upright, Cipher could not help but smile. It was good to be home.

* * *

Deep in the bay of the Egg Carrier, he could not see the clouds. And for the moment, that was a blessing. For all he could see in his eyes for the moment was the falling wreckage of man and machine. But that was not the heart of what bothered Colonel Prescott. What bothered him the most was how little a chance those soldiers and pilots stood in battle. It took but a moment's burst of energy and a brutal will to wipe them from existence. Was it an honorable death? He would like to think so, at least. Still, that was not his goal. If it were, the veteran would have gone rogue long ago.

_Patriotism may be a virtue of the vicious, but it takes a vicious hand to spill the blood of corrupted tyrants and bring revolution_ he thought to himself as he tinkered inside the cockpit of the absconded Metal Gear. For too long, he had watched as the 'representatives of the people' sent him and his kin to die like dogs for not so much as a penance. How many sons and daughters had he led and followed into a massacre to apologize for the superiority of his country. How can a soldier follow the orders of a superior who is committed to atone to the false sins of his birthplace by spilling the blood of her children for nothing?

It was with that thought in mind that the Colonel had conceived what was quite possibly the boldest and most sensitive operation he'd ever thought of. The world had acknowledged its need for warriors such as himself and his caste once, and it would do so again. All it took to inspire it was the right set of information. And when he had heard of the events and conspiracies surrounding Shadow Moses, Alaska, Prescott knew the time had arrived. Securing the original plans of this 'Metal Gear' weapon was in itself no small feat, but actually building it was another matter entirely. For that, he would need an expert in the mechanical.

Such a genius had been the subject of many briefings during his time at the Guardian Unit of Nations, enough of such that the Colonel had been able to been able to pin down where and when the target would be easiest to access. And so, in a covert sweep of brilliance and subterfuge, William had personally led the team that had captured Dr. Ivo Robotnik and completed the first part of a much grander scheme. What he did not anticipate is what would find them not long after. For such a glorious triumph of engineering like Metal Gear Rex needed parts and not questions. Normally, that was easy enough, as most major corporations and contactors dared not report the theft of such valuable technology lest they lose reputation and rewards. Many had tried to re-acquire what had been stolen, but only one succeeded in finding just where Prescott had located his bounty.

That one had been the ShinRa Electric Company.

From the moment Chang has broken into the hanger and began carving up man and machine alike, the Colonel had not fully understood or trusted his motivation. Certainly, the Turk had sympathized with his crusade, but William could read that there was more this assassin wasn't saying.

It was Robotnik that brought up the counterpoint that had formed this trio. For Chang may have been insane, but what he had access to or could find could make Metal Gear and its purpose truly unbeatable, and it was made starkly clear that the suit was not thrilled about the current state of the world either. What the assassin had referred to as a simple stone intrigued both Robotnik and Prescott enough that they sent Chang to get it. In no way did that bestow trust among any of the group towards each other.

"I've had operations go to hell before, but this is insane," the officer muttered to himself as he ran one last check over the first conventional-tipped slug of its kind. Designed to be fitted and fired from Rex's primary weapon, the railgun on its right arm, this device was both a test of Metal Gear's ability and a guarantee that no civilized nation would stand against them. In theory, such a round could strike anywhere on Earth, and since it did not require a rocket engine like every other inter-continental ballistic missile of its kind, it would be undetectable and unavoidable until it was too late. A bold stroke of death indeed, but it would take no less to make his vision a reality. One that would be enhanced a thousand fold if this test were successful and he then chose a nuclear warhead as his forte.

In that respect, Robotnik knew full well the power he dealt with. The overweight genius may have been certifiably insane in the Colonel's eyes, but at least he respected the powers which he dealt with when dealing with molecule-smashing materials. And Ivo's motivations were much more palatable, the classic tale of world domination under his iron fist was an easy one to string along to William's needs.

Chang was a different matter entirely. Strong enough to hold his own anywhere, but satisfied with following their lead for now. He had no doubt the ex-Turk was calculating something, and his complete lack of regard for a human life was disturbing as well. And then there was this 'Black Materia' that he brought into play. The suit had explained to them in detail just what it was, yet it still made no sense to him. Nor did he believe that tampering with powers even beyond the nuclear was a wise idea. There would be no point to revolutionizing the world if it did not exist anymore.

"Alright then, that should be it," he nodded to himself, motioning over a squad of worker drones. "Load this into the railgun's magazine."

Around him, the ship's comm speaker blared to life "Are we having fun down there, Colonel?"

"Ivo. I've prepared the test slug as the first round in the chain like we discussed, but I'll need the Emerald for the launch."

Hooting out a chuckle, the bulbous intellect pulled the gemstone from his pocket and twirled it "Finally ready to shake the world Colonel?"

"These are your modifications, Doctor. I would think you of all people want to see your work succeed. Unless of course, you would prefer a nuclear blast on your ship's deck."

Robotnik knew full well his uniformed comrade was playing to his vanity and ego, but that did not stop Prescott from being completely correct. As soon as he had been given the specifications of this walking tank, Ivo had brimmed with ideas on improvements and modifications. While his own creations were built to be reflections of his own genius and prowess, Metal Gear did not hold those burdens. It was built to be the pinnacle of one function and little more. It did not wear its creator's pride on its brow, nor did it require its master's genius to control it. Such wonderful weapons like the Egg Dragon and even earlier versions of Mecha Sonic needed Robotnik's direct control to be useful. Rex required no such IQ prequesite to be driven into war. And that was why he admired it enough to make it better.

"Very well. It's on its way down. Be sure to engage the locking clamps before you fire. I would hate to see such a toy throw itself off my ship due to wind shear."

"Don't worry Ivo, I'd be sure to give this barge a good blast on the way down" the Colonel smirked as the gemstone was delivered to Rex and the elevator under the tank's feet began to lift the monster onto the upper hull.

* * *

Back aboard the _Shera_, the crew gathered around the main table on the upper deck, carefully maneuvering around the quick patchwork that had done along her hull, with each member pitching in at least marginally. Once that was done, this unlikely group of heroes had set off at once in pursuit of the target. In front of them were the basic schematics that Snake had acquired from the base for their review. The other humans had never seen anything of such scope before, let alone anything airworthy. Knuckles grimaced at the memory of fighting on top of and within a similar beast not that long ago. Only the ultimate life-form kept his gaze cold and unfazed.

"Well, I'll give this Robotnik credit, that's the biggest boat I've ever seen fly," commented Cloud. And indeed, the Egg Carrier was built much more like a naval warship than a flying fortress, both in shape and in capacity. From what the plans had shown, they had gathered that it was indeed a floating base, complete with multiple defense emplacements. Ai-to-air and air-to-surface missile batteries and anti-aircraft guns peppered the structure all across. But the main teeth of this warship were built into its bow as a pair of large aperture laser cannons. Slow to charge and prone to melting their own innards, such fangs were built more as a statement, but they ensured that their master's message was received the first time around.

"Boat? Shit spikey, this bitch is a goddamn _fortress!_ I'm surprised ol' Rufus never built some shit like this! How th' hell are we gonna come at this thing?"

"Simple. Get me close enough and I'll bring it down and bury it." Shadow stated plainly.

"Yea…umm, last time I checked, you walked us into a shitstorm o' lead and got yer dinky ass blasted into a goddamn tree! And this time, ye'll get yer thick skull plowed through the goddamn ground when ya get blasted outta that tin shit. Great fuckin plan, pincushion." Highwind countered, ticking off the more colorful points of the hedgehog's recent actions.

And if there was one thing the ultimate life-form could not abide, it was failure. Even if others perceptions of his actions meant little to nothing in the greater scheme of things, Shadow would not ignore the painfully obvious points the pilot pinged on. He had underestimated both Dr. Robotnik and those now standing next to him. If not for the surprise intervention of Knuckles, the sands left behind would have been coated red. While such blatant stabs at his efforts earned Cid a cold, deadly glare from the ebony speedster, Shadow kept his silence.

"We could always sit back and follow it. Maybe it's heading home." suggested the swordsman.

"Tracking a hornet back to its home is never a good idea." Snake added. "If it goes to ground, that means it can deploy the Metal Gear they stole."

"The what what?" Knuckles interrupted.

"Robotnik's new toy that he stole from some other humans. An interesting tin can indeed," answered Shadow ", but nothing either of us can't smash."

"Good. I owe Eggface a solid knuckle sandwich for raising trouble on my island," the guardian said through a fanged smile.

"Alright then, but how do we stop it in the air once we catch up to it?" Cloud posed to the group.

"I've already contacted someone who can help us." answered Snake. "Once they get here, they will get us in close enough to that ship so we can board it."

Silence fell over the group for only a moment as everyone turned with some measure of shock towards the master of stealth. Everyone but the hedgehog, who gave a confidant smirk.

"Oh didja now?" retorted Highwind "An' jest who in their right fuckin' mind is gonna tackle this shitheap?"

"A mercenary." replied Shadow, seemingly confirming his earlier suspicions. "Someone who has no problem risking their lives for a paycheck. Not so different from you, am I right?"

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. But what does that matter to you, hedgehog? My concern is stopping Metal Gear, and sometimes keeping your hide safe in the meantime," answered the master of stealth as he lit up a fresh smoke.

"Look, we can worry about that later. Right now, we each have a stake in this, so let's clear that mess up first." Cloud added to the group, right as a shadow crept over the windshield of the airship "And the quicker the better." With a pointed finger, the swordsman drew their attention to the hulk that now eclipsed the star overheard.

A chirp in his ear let Snake know that they weren't alone "Snake, this is Galm One. I'll be on station in sixty, what's the plan?"

"Same as briefed. You'll need to take out the weapons stations on that fortress so we can board it. They have a radar dish covering the rear, so you'll need to take that out and it should blind them to our approach."

"Wilco. So, when did you pick up the swanky ride?" On cue, the screeching howl of twin jet turbines pulled in close as the F-15 rolled up next to the _Shera_ on its side to flash its cerulean wingtips. From the cockpit, the pilot waved at them before leveling off. Strife returned the gesture, Snake snapped an informal salute, Knuckles gave it a nod, but Cid was enamored. "Whew, now _that_'s'a sweet ass ride! Paint job's pretty stupid, but I'd fix that shit right up."

"Funny," the soldier responded "he said the same thing about _Shera_."

"Great, another fuckin' wiseass!" Highwind laughed as he waved at his aerial brother receiving a rocking wingtip salute in return.

"So, who is this one anyway?" asked the swordsman.

"A mercenary pilot, like Shadow thought. Used to be part of a pair back a few years ago before his wingman tried to kill him. For my part, I know he's been in every major war since the Gulf War. Belka, Bosnia, Osea, Iraq, Estovakia, and now here. His callsign is 'Cipher', but he's earned the title of 'Demon Lord' for his record." Snake summarized.

"Which I'm sure has nothing to do with the other casualties he's caused in such fighting" muttered the ultimate life-form. Loud enough that the echidna next to him nodded, since Knuckles had seen a prime example of humanity and it's madness thanks to Robotnik.

However, the crimson strongman was quickly distracted back to his own thoughts. Knuckles was not focused on the impending fight at all, but on something in the air. What had caught the ruby guardian's eye was something nearby. An energy tic, like the warmth offered by the Master Emerald, yet quite different. _What is this… it feels natural, yet chaotic…and we're getting closer to it. Fatty must've gotten his hands on something else, but what?_

"And you think this sunofabitch is crazy enough to take on that bigass tincan with us? Shit, Snake, you _do_ know the best kinds'a crazy!" added Highwind as the two flyers moved to a direct line under their beast of a target. The codec rang in the soldier's ear once more to allow him and the ace to clear up any last details, of which there were none.

"Cipher says he's ready when we are. Once we signal, he'll move out," reported the soldier. News which made Cid grin ear-to-ear "Well, allright hotshot! Let's see ya' dance!" the pilot laughed as the _Shera_ began its ascent.

The Eagle replied with a sudden steep climb and full roll "Roger that, engaging bogey" Cipher replied, switching his weapons radar on. "Good tone! Galm One, Fox Three, Fox Three!" On cue, a quartet of longer-range XMAA missiles dropped from his Eagle's belly and screamed forward into the rear of the Egg Carrier. The ensuing explosions tore the rear radome to pieces and sprayed shrapnel into the main engine bell, pouring raw fuel into the fire before the engine cut out and went dark. Pushing his afterburners on, Cipher snapped the aircraft onto its side and carved a jagged trail of bullets and broken defense emplacements down the belly of the flying behemoth.

* * *

The shockwave of the blast knocked its captain nearly off his heels, alarm klaxons instantly blaring in his ears. "What the devil? What's going on?" Robotnik demanded as his vessel lurched again in opposing direction.

"The Carrier has been attacked by a single enemy contact. Identity: F-15C Eagle. Nationality: unknown" came the answer in robotic tone from the ship. "Aft sensor dish destroyed. Primary engine disabled automatically due to damage. All propulsion routed to maintain altitude and position."

Ivo slammed his meaty fist into the wall panel in anger "Activate all weapons batteries! Destroy it _now_!"

"Ivo? What the hell is going on? What's all this racket? And…is that _smoke_ coming out of your rear?" a new voice queried from the radio.

"Colonel? Are you still outside?"

"I'm stuck up here on the deck! One moment I'm aligning my target finder, the next those damned locking clamps snapped shut and are holding me in place!"

The overweight tyrant smiled at that "We're under attack by a lone aircraft! It came up from the rear and underneath where the engine exhaust causes the most interference with sensor returns. If you don't take it out, it could knock us from the sky!"

"Why not have that damn Turk summon up another beast and swat it down?"

Robotnik shook his head, though no one could see it "He's busy in the weapons hold, trying to increase our strength with that little rock of his. I don't think it's going well."

_Now I wonder how it knew how to approach us…it looks like Robotnik underestimated _another_ opponent _William thought to himself. Such arrogance had already put the Doctor under lock and key in Prescott's hands, but now that he and Rex were in danger, the officer was now forced to step into defense. Blasting out of the restraints with the tank's cannons, he brought Metal Gear to its full height and caught a look at his prey as the aircraft swooped up from under his horizon before it inverted and looped around for another run. Try as they might, none of the Carrier's defenses could touch it.

But that was not what surprised the Colonel. What caught his eye was the Eagle itself, or rather, the ocean-blue tips of its wings and the hellhound it wore on its tail.

"So, you wouldn't accept _my_ offer, mercenary. But you took theirs instead…very well. Maybe all the money you charge for this will pad your grave."

* * *

"Galm One to Snake, I've cleared out the guns that posed a threat to you, start your run and I'll be top cover." In the air, Cipher caught his first look at the walking tank as he screamed in on afterburner for another pass "What the heck is that?"

His answer was another stream of bullets belted forth at him, which he side-slipped out of and past at a wide berth "Guess it's lookin' to be scrap now! Gotta take it out before they make their drop…" Once he was clear, he snapped his plane into a tight flip and lined up to drop the two thousand-pound unguided bombs under his wings. The Heads-Up Display in front of him aligned to where they would fall, and once Cipher was straight on "Try these! Pickle! Pickle!"

A path that lined up very nicely with Rex's main weapon. Without visible sign of loading or recoil, the railgun fired no sooner than the bombs detached. At speeds far exceeding any normal bullet, the solid mass of piercing depleted uranium tore past Cipher under his belly. The shockwave alone threw the Eagle into a violent spasm and detonated the bombs it had dropped harmlessly at a distance.

"Whoa! Shi…! What the! Galm One to Snake, abort approach! This thing's still packing!" the Demon Lord called desperately into his radio as he watched Rex track him in the sky. But it was too late. The _Shera_ burst upwards from under the Carrier's horizon like a whale breaching the waves and leveled off low enough to drop off its passengers in one swooping motion. And it was greeted to the sight of Rex turning to glare at it with it's main set of teeth. The shot tore effortlessly through the airships right engine, shearing away the entire assembly and crumpling the aft rotor behind it. The momentum ripped glass and metal skin alike away from the broken flyer. Without balance or lift, the ship spun rapidly out of control and down beneath the clouds, the poor occupants inside her shell were tossed around like napkins inside a jagged blender.

Keeping his Eagle stable and nimble, Cipher fired two more missiles at Rex on a snapshot, not looking to see if they connected. The pilots eyes were glued to the fading smoke and falling pieces of the _Shera_ to see if there were any signs of life. What greeted him was nothingness. "Come on, guys…bail out! Get outta there!" Dipping out of the beastly tank's sight, he circled wide around the last sign of his client he had. It wasn't until too late that the Demon Lord came face to face with a true evil. Standing on the curved belly of the Carrier, completely in defiance of gravity and physics was a steel-wielding warrior on six-legged stallion. Its cursed red eyes tracked his plane's cerulean wings as the ace looked back at it in stunned confusion "What the hell…?"

In a swift motion worthy of his name, Odin brought his lance to bear and launched it towards him. Suddenly there was no time for worry, only reaction "Oh, shiiiiiiiit!" Cipher howled into his mask, cranking the Eagle's nose into the air while slamming out the airbrake, the aircraft shuddering as it bled speed and life until it hung still in the air like a poised cobra. Luckily for the Demon Lord, it was enough and the lance breezed over his cockpit and out into the sky.

A miss that gave Odin to perform its second attack. Leaping off the surface that held it, the avatar drew its sword and cleaved through the Eagle's spine and heart before Earth's attraction overtook it and the summoned one dispelled among the sky. The remains of the fighter flailed helplessly in the winds as it fell, and it wasn't until Cipher saw his own wings spin past him did he realize that there was no chance left. But it wasn't fear that filled him as the ground rapidly approached, it was something else "Sorry girl, but I guess this is the end…" Yanking the caution striped handle at his knees, the pilot was blasted free of the wreck of his plane into the smoke and clouds of the warm sun.

* * *

**Cipher always has been one of my favorite player-characters for the Ace combat series, not just for his adventures in the PS2 release, but for all the mythos that sprang just from that little snippit. **

**Coming up next; now that noses have been bloodied, what will our heroes' next step be? Assuming they survive the trip down...  
**

**Reviews welcome!  
**


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